1) Occupational term for a maker of scythes.
Sheffield historians have made the point that scythesmiths were operating in the Norton area of Derbyshire before the craft had independent status in Sheffield, and references to the occupation bear that out: 1599 Edward Gill, scythesmith, Norton
1653 Lawrence Savage of Woodsetts in the p’ish of Norton, sythsmith. That is not to say that scythes were not being made in Sheffield at that time, for there is proof in wills that they were: 1545 bellowes, sithes, hamors and tonges, Attercliffe
1551-2 smythe geyre and two dossen sythes readye to the chapman, Sheffield. There were also scythesmiths elsewhere in south Yorkshire: 1556 Thomas Blithe of Hymmysworthe, scithesmythe
1575 bladesmythes, blacksmythes and sythesmythes
1580 Nicholas Beckett, Hoghtone hall in Worsbroughe, siethsmythe. The Sheffield scythesmiths were admitted into the Cutlers Company in 1682 but references to the occupation occur much earlier: 1654 Thomas Wright of Hawslinbanck in the p’ish of Sheffeld sythsmith. In 1639-40, Thomas Maude of Sheffield, sithersmith [sic – so possibly a scissorsmith] was indicted for stealing a teame, two paire of plowe shackles and two pair of waine shackles, all iron objects which he had no doubt intended to sell or convert to his own use.