Charles Lewis was born at Isham in 1821 and he founded his smithy in Rushden in about 1846, when he brought his wife Rebecca and son William here from Brigstock, his wife's birth place. In Rushden they added to their family: Walter in 1847, Wright Francis in 1850, Whyman in 1852, Wilfred in 1854, Elizabeth in 1858, Watson in 1860 and Wilheim in 1866 when Rebecca was 49 years old. The two older boys, Whyman and Wilfred all followed their father's trade but Wright worked as a shoemaker and Watson and Wilheim became clickers.

Rebecca died in 1894 and Charles died in 1906 aged 85 years. In the 1890s Walter took over as the head of the smithy and his son Harry took over in 1914.