Camera Workers, 1858-1950

The British Columbia, Alaska and Yukon Photographic Directory, 1858-1950

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Foxall, William[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Male 1855 - 1938  (83 years)


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  • Name Foxall, William 
    Birth 10 Jun 1855  Kidderminster, Eng., UK Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Gender Male 
    Business Address/Year 1880s  Brandon, MB Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Business Address/Year 1898  Brandon, MB Find all individuals with events at this location  [8] 
    Business Address/Year 1902-1906  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14] 
    Address:
    59 1/2 Government St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    • In 1902 this address is listed as the photographic partnership of (W.B.) Finley & Foxall. Victoria Daily Times news items in 1906 use the name Foxall Studio.
    Business Address/Year 1908-1911  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [15, 16, 17, 18] 
    Address:
    1111 Government St.
    Foxall Studio
    Victoria , BC
    Canada  
    Business Address/Year 1911-1937  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24] 
    Address:
    1207 Douglas St.
    Sayward Building
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    Home Address/Year 1938  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Address:
    2407 Quadra St.
    Victoria, BC
    Canada 
    • No occupation is listed.
    Death 14 Dec 1938  Victoria, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [25, 26] 
    Burial 16 Dec 1938  Royal Oak Burial Park, Saanich, BC Find all individuals with events at this location  [27] 
    Association Foxall, Minnetta Maggie (Relationship: Assistant) 
    Association Foxall Studio (Relationship: Owner) 
    Association Finley and Foxall (Relationship: Partner) 
    Association Victoria Professional Photographers Association (Relationship: Member) 
    Association Foxall, Minnetta Maggie (Relationship: Daughter) 
    Person ID I684  Camera Workers | F, vol. 2, 1901-1950
    Last Modified 26 Jan 2024 

  • Photos
    Foxall Photo Studio sign, Sayward Building, Douglas St., Victoria, BC    		Foxall Photo Studio sign, Sayward Building, Douglas St., Victoria, BC
    Enlargement from glass media showing "Foxall, Photo Studio" sign and studio skylight, Sayward Building (current address, 1201-1213 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC). The full version of this photograph, credited to Fleming [Brothers?], is available online through the BC Archives at http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/looking-south-on-douglas-street-from-northwest-corner-of-yates-street-victoria
    Google Maps Street View enlargement showing Foxall Photo Studio skylight in Sayward Building    		Google Maps Street View enlargement showing Foxall Photo Studio skylight in Sayward Building
    Current address, 1201-1213 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC.

    Documents
    William Foxall's obituary, <i>Daily Colonist</i>, 15 December 1938, p. 1.    		William Foxall's obituary, Daily Colonist, 15 December 1938, p. 1.
    Foxall Studio ad, Sayward Building, 1207 Douglas St., Victoria, BC    		Foxall Studio ad, Sayward Building, 1207 Douglas St., Victoria, BC
    The first version of this ad for the studio appeared in the Daily Colonist on 20 September 1911. This version is from the October 4, 1911 issue.
    Victoria Professional Photographers Association ad, <i>Daily Colonist</i>, 27 Nov 1921, p. 32.    		Victoria Professional Photographers Association ad, Daily Colonist, 27 Nov 1921, p. 32.
    Foxall Studio news, <i>Victoria Daily Times</i>, 26 Sep 1917, p. 9.    		Foxall Studio news, Victoria Daily Times, 26 Sep 1917, p. 9.
    The Foxall Studio exhibited at Victoria's Home Products Fair which was held between 24 and 26 Sep 1917.
    Mrs. William Foxall's obituary, <i>Victoria Daily Times</i>, 16 May 1924, p. 9.    		Mrs. William Foxall's obituary, Victoria Daily Times, 16 May 1924, p. 9.
    Foxall Studio ad, <i>Daily Colonist</i>, 3 Jan 1912, p. 5    		Foxall Studio ad, Daily Colonist, 3 Jan 1912, p. 5
    Foxall Studio ad, <i>Victoria Daily Times</i>, 26 Sep 1917, p. 11.    		Foxall Studio ad, Victoria Daily Times, 26 Sep 1917, p. 11.
    Foxall Studio ID.    		Foxall Studio ID.
    Foxall Studio ad, <i>Victoria Daily Times</i>, 15 Dec 1903, p. 8.    		Foxall Studio ad, Victoria Daily Times, 15 Dec 1903, p. 8.
    Not really an ad for the studio, but who could resist a lost and found ad for false teeth.

  • Notes 
    • STATUS: Commercial.
    • BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY: According to his obituary, after emigrating with his parents he lived in Connecticut, working in the carpet industry, prior to emigrating to Brandon, Manitoba in 1879. The 1931 Canada census gives his immigration year as 1887. His obituary states he took up photography in Brandon before moving to Victoria in 1901 where he continued to work as a photographer, chiefly in studio portraiture, up until 1937. The 1891 Canada census, however, gives his occupation as farmer. In 1910 he likely faced his most challenging moment as a photographer when he lost his studio in the Five Sisters Block fire. At least three other photographers were also burned out: Skene Lowe, John Savannah and C.H. Smith. Foxall reopened in the fall of 1911 on the sixth (top) floor of the new Sayward Building on the corner of Douglas and View streets. He was predeceased by his wife Amelia Francis Foxall, who died on 15 May 1924, age 69, and was survived by their daughter Miss Minnetta Maggie Foxall (died 12 June 1940), their son Clifford Francis Foxall (married 1925; died 2 December 1948) and three grandchildren. [28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34]

  • Sources 
    1. [S628] (Victoria) Colonist, (Victoria: Colonist), 15 Dec 1938, 1.
      Obituary

    2. [S46] COLLECTION: BVIPA (Reliability: 3).
      Prints.

    3. [S45] COLLECTION: BVAA (Reliability: 3).
      Prints.

    4. [S152] COLLECTION: OOA (Reliability: 3).
      Prints.

    5. [S339] Voters List, (Victoria, B.C.: Province of British Columbia, 1874-), 1903, 1920, 1924, 1928, 1933, Ref. NW 324.1 B862.
      Victoria

    6. [S628] (Victoria) Colonist, (Victoria: Colonist), 15 Dec 1938, 1 (Reliability: 3).

    7. [S828] COLLECTION: MBUA, 6 Dec 2016 (Reliability: 3).
      Lawrence Stuckey fonds (RG 11), item no. 1-2002.3.1AD1, portrait of Dr. Alexander Fleming, Brandon's first doctor (1881-1897), photographed by "Wm. Foxall of Brock's Studio".

    8. [S829] COLLECTION: MDALY (Reliability: 2).
      Portrait of Dan & Ada (Birtles) Roberts, reference code CA DHM 1978.28-2000.28.28, credited to "Wm. Foxall". The couple married in 1897 and settled in the Alexander, Manitoba, area, so this portrait may not have been taken in Brandon.

    9. [S674] (Victoria) Times, 5 Jul 1906, 8.
      News item

    10. [S781] HEN02, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1902), 910 (Reliability: 2).
      "Finley & Foxall, photographers, 59 1-2 Government ."

    11. [S782] HEN03, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1903), 3 Dec 2016, 979 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall, William, photographer 59 1-2 Government, h 47 South road."

    12. [S783] HEN04, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1904), 3 Dec 2016, 1047 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall, William, photographer 59 1-2 Government, h. 31 Rae."

    13. [S785] HEN05, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1905), 3 Dec 2016, 584 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall, William, photographer 59 1-2 Government, h. 31 Rae."

    14. [S784] HENVIC05, (Victoria: Henderson Publishing, 1905), 3 Dec 2016, 159 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall, William, photographer 59 1-2 Government, h. 31 Rae."

    15. [S789] HENVIC08, (Victoria: Henderson Publishing, 1908), 3 Dec 2016, 269 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall William photographer 1111 Government h 914 Bay"

    16. [S792] PROVI09, (Victoria: Provincial Publishing, 1909), 3 Dec 2016, 411 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall, Wm., photographer, 1111 Government, h. 914 Bay."

    17. [S732] HEN10, (Vancouver: Henderson Publishing, 1910), 3 Dec 2016, 1312 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall Wm photographer 1111 Government"

    18. [S793] HENVIC10, (Victoria: Henderson Publishing, 1911), 245.
      "Foxall William photographer h 914 Bay"

    19. [S628] (Victoria) Colonist, (Victoria: Colonist), 20 Sep 1911, 5 (Reliability: 3).
      Ad; this is the earliest instance revealed through a search of "The British Colonist" online edition.

    20. [S796] HENVIC12, (Victoria: Henderson Publishing, 1912), 3 Dec 2016, 116 and 364 (Reliability: 2).
      p. 116 is the street directory listing showing he occupied rooms 623 and 624 on the top floor of the Sayward Building at 1207 Douglas St. His neighbour in rooms 620 to 622 was the famous architect F.M. Rattenbury.
      p. 364, "Foxall William, photographer, [1207 Douglas St.] 623 Sayward Bldg. phone 3105. h. 914 Bay."

    21. [S798] HENVIC13, (Victoria: Henderson Publishing, 1913), 4 Dec 2016, 529 (Reliability: 2).
      p. 529, "Foxall Wm photogr 623, 1207 Douglas h 840 Bay"

    22. [S745] HENVIC14, (Victoria: Henderson Publishing, 1914), 4 Dec 2016, 411 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall, William, Portrait Photographer, 623 Sayward Bldg. Phone 2105 res. 840 Bay St."

    23. [S801] TREVIC14, (Victoria: Tregillus-Thompson Ltd., 1914), 4 Dec 2016, 517 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall William Photographer 623 Sayward Bldg. Phone 2105 Phone 3112L Res: 840 Bay."

    24. [S771] SUN37, (Vancouver: Sun Directories, 1937), 4 Dec 2016, 1520 (Reliability: 2).
      "Foxall Studio (W and Miss M M Foxall) photogs 325, 1207 Douglas"

    25. [S628] (Victoria) Colonist, (Victoria: Colonist), 15 Dec 1938, 1 (Reliability: 3).
      Died in Royal Jubilee Hospital.

    26. [S652] BVIPA death registration index, 3 Dec 2016 (Reliability: 3).
      Registration no. 1938-09-550289 (microfilm reel B13164).

    27. [S628] (Victoria) Colonist, (Victoria: Colonist), 15 Dec 1938, 1 (Reliability: 3).
      Funeral held at Thompson Funeral Home

    28. [S720] Census of Canada 1891, 4 Dec 2016, 36 (Reliability: 3).
      District no. 1 Selkirk, subdistrict Cornwallis, line 1. He and his wife are age 35, daughter M.M. Foxall is 4 and son C.F. Foxall is 3 1/2. A sister, Lida or Lidia, age 19, born in the USA, is also living with the family, as are a brother, B.J. Foxall, age 26, born in the USA, and a "dom[estic]", age 19, John Duxbury. The two other men are also farmers.

    29. [S628] (Victoria) Colonist, (Victoria: Colonist), 26 Jun 1902, 6 (Reliability: 3).
      In support of a 1901 arrival by William Foxall and his family, according to this Daily Colonist report his son Clifford was promoted from division 7 to division 6 at the Boys' Central School.
      According to his birth and death registration records, Clifford was born in Brandon, Manitoba, on 28 Feb 1891, making him 11 years old in June 1902 (BC Archives death registration no. 1948-09-010726). Oddly, the age on his 1925 BC marriage registration record was corrected in 1941 from 32 to 28; however, even the 32 was an incorrect date! (BC Archives marriage registration no. 1925-09-284270 and Manitoba birth registration no. 1891-003424)

    30. [S823] Nicola Valley News, 28 Oct 1910, 1 (Reliability: 2).
      "Four Million Dollar Blaze in Victoria's Business District"

    31. [S647] Census of Canada 1901 (Reliability: 3).
      There are no individuals in Canada enumerated in 1901 with the surname Foxall.

    32. [S722] Census of Canada 1911 (Reliability: 3).
      William Foxall and his family were not enumerated in the 1911 census.

    33. [S674] (Victoria) Times, 16 May 1924, 9.
      "Sudden Death of Mrs. Wm. Foxall"

    34. [S628] (Victoria) Colonist, (Victoria: Colonist), 15 Apr 1928, 8 (Reliability: 2).
      "Six Estates Are Probated ... Amelia Foxall, late of Victoria, who died on May 15, 1924; estate, $2,700."