The Rural Voice, 2019-03, Page 46join Mary Jane’s parents who had
built a home there. It was in Exeter
that William and Mary Jane Verity
raised their 13 children, all of
whom grew to adulthood. At a time
when infant mortality exceeded 30
per cent, this was quite remarkable.
By 1857, a mere six years after
leaving England, William had
established a large foundry where
plows, sugar kettles. straw cutters,
saws, box stoves and cook stoves
were manufactured. This was a
major accomplishment in an area
that was relatively remote.
William’s engineering skills paid
off. He made all the patterns,
castings, and machinery and built the
blast furnace too. The forced air in
the foundry was produced by
sheepskin bellows and plungers.
Horses were used to work the
bellows. Twice a week farmers
would bring teams into town when
“heats” were taken off. Later the
teams were replaced with a steam
engine but the sheepskin bellows
continued in use for 15 years.
In the beginning the plows were
sold locally. As word spread about
their quality, orders were received
and shipped into the United States
and elsewhere in Canada. Eventually
four sons – Robert, William J., Percy
and Charles – joined their father’s
business. Records show that Robert
and William operated the huge hand
press which was used to form the
moldboards from glowing red hot
steel plates. Both the press and the
furnace were located outdoors,
beside a 20-foot pond that had been
dug beside the Ausable River so it
could be filled with river water.
Thus the plows were formed and
tempered. You can imagine the loud
“hiss” when the red-hot steel plow
shares hit the water.
In 1869, the Verity Plow company
employed 12 men. In addition to
making plows, they manufactured
Ball’s Ohio Self Rakers, Wood’s
Reaping Machines plus other
agricultural implements and stoves.
The manufacturing of stoves at the
Verity Foundry ended when that part
of the business was sold in 1870 to
John McClary in London, Ontario.
The McClary name was well known
for stoves, enamelware, furnaces and
agricultural equipment.
42 The Rural Voice
There is still one Verity plow in Exeter. Bob Heywood (above)of Exeter
keeps a Verity plow at his home. It was purchased 25 years ago from
Harold Colement of Seaforth.
Bob Heywood (left)
poses with some Verity
parts and tools outside
his Exeter home.
William and Mary Jane Verity ( below) raised 13 children. Despite an
infant mortality rate at that time of more than 30 per cent, all their
children lived long and prosperous lives. Four sons joined their father in
the Verity Plow Company building it up to the point where they shipped
plows across Canada and employed over 250 men.