A well-known thrashing mill maker in north-east Scotland was Shearer Brothers, Maybank Works, Railway Station, Turriff, later of Balmellie Street, Turriff. It undertook business from at least 1876 until 1972; on 18 July 1972 the company passed a special resolution to voluntarily wind up the company. The final winding up meeting was held on 29 August 1972.
The company undertook a number of trades and was an agricultural engineer, an agricultural implement maker, a machinery maker, a mechanical engineer, millwright and later a motor engineer. It was active in promoting its manufactures: exhibiting at the Highland Show from 1876 until 1939. It was awarded a medium silver medal for foot power thrashing machine in 1876. It also entered into the trial of machines for cleaning all sorts of grain and other seeds from weeds in 1884. It was also regular advertiser in the North British Agriculturist from 1884 onwards.
The company manufactured a range of threshing mills. In 1876 it manufactured a foot power thrashing machine which it described as a new invention. By 1881 it manufactured its “Advance” thresher for foot and hand power and the “Simplex” rotary fanner. By the following year it was also manufacturing a small hand thresher with adjustable feeder. These continued to be its main manufactures for following years. To these were added the new “Paragon” dressing and screening machine in 1887. It became a well-known business, also exporting its mills across the world.
A key figure in the business was Eric Shearer who died in 1933. His obituary was published in the Banffshire journal on 22 August 1933. It includes information on the development of the Shearer Brothers, their business and its activities as well as the role of Eric Shearer in the business. It is worth quoting at length:
“Late Mr Eric Shearer
Much regret is felt in Turriff and district at the death of Mr Eric James Shearer, proprietor of the extensive business of Messrs Shearer Brothers, motor agents and engineers and millwrights, Turriff, which took place suddenly from heart failure at his residence, Canisbay, Turriff, on Sunday morning. Mr Shearer, who was 60 years of age, had been laid aside by ill-health for the past few years but his death was unexpected and is deplored by his many friends.
The only son of the late Mr John Shearer, millwright, who, with a brother, founded the now well-known business, Mr Shearer trained as an engineer and took up his father’s work, succeeding him in the business on his death. At that time the works were situated near Turriff railway station and had a wide reputation for the production of excellent, small hand-mills, in which the firm did a large export trade to India, Australia, New Zealand and South America, and a large trade also in this country and in Ireland, the industry employing a considerable number of hands.
At the beginning of this century the old works at the station were destroyed by fire and Mr Shearer acquired the present fine site on Balmellie Street and erected large modern workshops there. The motor industry was then in its infancy and Mr Shearer was among the first in these parts to develop it, and in addition to his millwright and general engineering work he built up a considerable business in motor cars, catering largely for the needs of the farming community. He was appointed agent in the district for the Ford Motor Company and erected a fine showroom frontage at his premises for the display of new cars &c. A true engineer, and possessed of high business acumen, Mr Shearer was also quick to foresee the more extensive use of mechanical power on the farm and developed an extensive business in motor tractors as well as in oil engines, power-driven threshing mills and other machinery on the farm. He took a keen interest in the development if wireless broadcasting during the past decade and was the first in Turriff to instal a wireless receiver in his house. Although mostly confined to bed by ill-health for the past three or four years, Mr Shearer nevertheless continued to supervise his extensive business in a keen and enterprising way. Of a quiet disposition, and interested chiefly in engineering and mechanical affairs, Mr Shearer took no part in public activities.
He is survived by his widow and sister, to whom warm sympathy is extended in their bereavement.”
