By 1875 William Hamilton was an iron founder who made sawmills, shingle machines, water wheels, and probably other products as well. In 1883 the business was incorporated as Wm. Hamilton Manufacturing Co., with $100,000 in capital. Their advertisements used the brand Peterboro Saw Mills. The business survived until at least 1920.

Hamilton made shingle machines based on Willis J. Perkins' patent designs.

Information Sources

• Thanks to Art Shaw for bringing this maker to our attention.
• 1883-06-23 The Canada Gazette.

  NOTICE is hereby given that within one month after the last publication of this Notice in the Canada Gazette, application will be made to His Excellency the Governor General in Council under "The Canada Joint Stock Companies Act, 1877," for letters patent incorporating the undermentioned applicants and those other persons who may become Shareholders in the proposed company, as a body corporate and politic for the purposes hereinafter mentioned:

  1. The proposed corporate name of the company is "The William Hamilton Manufacturing Co. (limited)."

  2. The purposes for which such incorporation is sought are to purchase and acquire from William Hamilton the Foundry Business carried on by him at the Town of Peterborough, in the County of Peterborough, and Province of Ontario, together with all land, buildings, machinery, plant and materials of all kinds used in connection with said business, and the manufacturing by the said company of mill machinery, engines and boilers, and to carry on by said company said foundry business in all its branches, and to enable the said company to enter into contracts for the erection, fitting up and completing of all kinds of mills, factories and steamboats of all kinds and description, and to enable the said company to purchase, acquire, erect, build, work, carry on, operate and run said mills, factories and steamboats of all kinds, and to manufacture and cut into lumber at said mills saw-logs and timber, and to purchase, acquire, or possess and own all real estate, buildings, saw-logs, timber, timber limits and all property both real and personal required to successfully work, operate, run, carry on said business.

  3. The chief place of business of the said company is to be at the Town of Peterborough, in the County of Peterborough, in the Province of Ontario.

  4. The amount of the capital stock of the said company is to be two hundred thousand dollars.

  5. The number of shares is to be two thousand, the amount of each share one hundred dollars.

  6. The names in full and the address and calling of each of the applicants are, William Hamilton, of the said Town of Peterborough, manufacturer ; George Albertus Cox, of the said Town of Peterborough, President Midland Railway of Canada; George Munro, of the said Town of Peterborough, machinist; Andrew McFarlane, of the said Town of Peterborough, machinist, and Richard Hall, of the said Town of Peterborough, civil and mechanical engineer.

  7. The said William Hamilton, George Albertus Cox, George Munro, Andrew Macfarlane [sic] and Richard Hall, all of whom are resident in Canada, are to be the first or provisional directors of the said proposed company.

  8. The said company intend to transact business throughout the Dominion of Canada.

  R. H. DENNISTOUN,
  Solicitor for the applicants.
  Dated at Peterborough aforesaid this Fourteenth day of May, A. D. 1883.

• The Trent University Archive records of the Munro family mentions the William Hamilton Manufacturing Co. of Peterborough. William Hamilton Munro worked for his grandfather's firm, Wm. Hamilton Manufacturing Co., in 1904 and again during World War I until his death in 1920.
• The Henry Ford Museum has in its collection a catalog from this company, for the "Boss" turbine waterwheel. The catalog is described as ca. 1895.
• An online biography of one Alexander Feir , which says the following:

  Alexander went on to build a sawmill for which he ordered from Wm Hamilton, Iron Founder, a circular saw at a cost of $115.00. This was purchased in January 1875...

• Library and Archives Canada has a listing for a letter dated February 1887 from Wm. Hamilton Manufacturing Co. of Peterborough. They also have a 1910 mention of a Peterborough iron-moulder, Peter & William Hamilton Co.
• Name data:
  • 1909—William Hamilton Co. Ltd. (1909 issues of Canada Lumberman and Woodworker)
  • 1913—William Hamilton Co. (1913-06-15 Canada Lumberman and Woodworker)
  • 1914—William Hamilton Co., Ltd. (1914-01-01 Canada Lumberman and Woodworker)