Frederick Buscombe

Frederick Buscombe
Mayor of Vancouver
In office
1905–1906
Preceded by William McGuigan
Succeeded by Alexander Bethune
Personal details
Born September 2, 1862
Bodmin, Cornwall, England
Died July 21, 1938 (aged 75)
Vancouver, British Columbia
Resting place Mountain View Cemetery
49°14′7.7″N 123°5′33.5″W / 49.235472°N 123.092639°W
Spouse(s) Lydia Rebecca Mattice
Occupation businessman

Frederick Buscombe (September 2, 1862 – July 21, 1938), was the 11th Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He served from 1905 to 1906. A glassware and china merchant, he was a President of the Vancouver Board of Trade in 1900.

Buscombe was born in 1862 at Bodmin,[1] Cornwall, England, to Edwin and Isabella Oliver Grilles Buscombe.[2] He immigrated to Canada with his family in 1870, settling near Hamilton, Ontario, where his father became a builder.[3] He first worked in Hamilton from 1878 to James A. Skinner & Company, a glassware and china company, as a travelling salesman from 1878 to 1891.[2] In 1891, his job with the company brought him west to Vancouver, where he established an office with his brother, George.[4] Prior to 1891, he visited the Vancouver area twice, in 1884 and 1886.[1] He served as a partner of the company in Vancouver until 1899, when he bought out the company, and established Frederick Buscombe & Co. Ltd. china, glassware and earthenware with his brother, which grew to be one of the largest businesses of the kind in the Canadian West.[3] He was also president of the Pacific Coast Lumber & Sawmills Company, and director of the Pacific Marine Insurance Company.[2] In 1899, he commissioned the Buscombe Building, located at 342 Water Street & 403 West Cordova Street, in Gastown, Vancouver, which is now the site of a restaurant and various businesses.[5]

Buscombe was elected Mayor of Vancouver in 1905. During the election, he advocated for improved financial management within the municipal affairs, earning support from three newspapers, and many businessmen.[6] He served two terms, until 1906. During his mayoralty, he helped develop the Greater Vancouver Water Board.[7] The city council also passed a motion to request suspension of immigration of East Indians to Vancouver due to public discontent of immigrants working in the growing amount construction jobs.[8]

Buscombe served as president of Vancouver's Board of Trade from 1900 to 1901, and as president of the Vancouver Tourist Association in 1901.[2] A Mason, he was also a member of the Vancouver Club, Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, Terminal City Club, Jericho Country Club, and the Sons of England Society.[2] He died at Vancouver 1938 and was buried at Mountain View Cemetery. At the time of his death, he was married to Cora Elsie Bird.[9]

He married Lydia Rebecca Mattice on May 6, 1886, with her he had five children: Robert Frederick Edwin, Harold Edwin, Erie Stewart, Margery Gordon, and Barnett.[3] He lived in Dundurn, Vancouver.[2] A member of the Church of England, he enjoyed yachting, fishing and golf.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Gosnell 1906, p. 674
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Western Press Association (1916), Northern who's who: a biographical dictionary of men and women especially compiled for newspaper and library reference, New York City, Portland, Oregon, retrieved February 12, 2014
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Gosnell 1906, p. 675
  4. ↑ "Buscombe family - City of Vancouver Archives". Searcharchives.vancouver.ca. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  5. ↑ "THROWBACK THURSDAYS: The Buscombe Building". Gastown.org. 2013-06-06. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  6. ↑ "The Mayors of Vancouver". Vancouverhistory.ca. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  7. ↑ "Frederick Buscombe". Freemasonry.bcy.ca. 1938-07-21. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  8. ↑ "History of Vancouver - Mayors of Vancouver". Vancouverhistory.ca. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
  9. ↑ Frederick Buscombe, "British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986", Family Search. Retrieved 2014-02-27.

Bibliography