The Free Forge of Pembroke
Pembroke, Ontario
1857 – 1880s*
Thomas Free started a small forge in Pembroke, Ontario, around 1857. Axes and edge tools made by Thomas Free are marked “T. Free”. After Thomas’s death around 1865, his wife, Elizabeth, kept the business running, and the mark changed to read “E. Free.”
The forge was small, with about 3 employees and or apprentices.
It’s unclear how long the forge remained after Thomas Free’s death. Elizabeth remarried in 1867, so it is quite possible the forge shut down after that. But, Elizabeth and Thomas’s son William Issac Free was listed as an axe maker in the 1881 census – suggesting the business could still be running.
However, Elizabeth’s brother Thomas Foster had also started an axe-making forge in Pembroke, which was still operational. So it’s unclear if William Free was making axes under the Free name or working with the Fosters.
Shared by Nathan Clouthier
Where was the forge?
The map above is from just a few years before the Free Factory opened, so it isn’t yet listed. But the axe factory likely would have been on the banks of the Muskrat River. Running water was key for operating some of the Machinery.
The Foster forge was later mentioned as being on the river just south of the bridge, so the Free forge was likely further down and possibly a little outside of town.
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Do you have a rare or unique axe? Did I get something wrong? Please share any pictures, information, or any insights to help improve the archive.
Email: museum@axeandtool.com
Sources
- Axe Making in Ontario – Gary E. French
- Familysearch.com – Thomas Free
- Familysearch.com – Elizabeth Free
- Canada Atlantic Google Site – Pembroke
- Wikipedia – Pembroke