Appointed Surveyor/Engineer for the Borough of Camberwell c.1898.
William Oxtoby was born on 7 February 1862 in Hull, Yorkshire. He was the fourth of the five children of Robert Oxtoby (1823-1874) and Esther Oxtoby née Chambers (1825-1905).
In the 1871 census he was shown as a scholar living at 18 Spring Street, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Yorkshire, with his parents and four siblings: Emily Oxtoby (1855-1935), Annie Oxtoby (b.1860) and Ada Oxtoby (1863-1927), together with a female general domestic servant. His father's occupation was described as a corn merchant and his elder brother Charles Oxtoby (1856-1935) was recorded as a boarding pupil at Wesley College, Glossop Road, Sheffield, Yorkshire.
He was described in the 1881 census as a civil engineer's apprentice still residing at 18 Spring Street, Kingston-Upon-Hull, with his brother Charles who was shown as a corn merchant, two sisters, Annie and Ada, together with a female general domestic servant. His widowed mother was recorded with her daughter, Emily, and son-in-law Henry James Nott, at Farlands, Lingen, Herefordshire.
He had been articled to Mr J, Fox Sharp (the Borough Engineer of Hull) from 28 March 1879 to 28 March 1883 and then took up a position in the Engineers Department of the Hull Corporation preparing plans for bridges, drainage works, streets and parks. On 16 February 1887 he was proposed to become an Associated Member of The Institution of Civil Engineers (A.M.I.C.E.) and was successfully balloted for on 5 April 1887.
When the 1891 census was undertaken he was recorded as a civil engineer still living at 18 Spring Street, Kingston-Upon-Hull with his widowed mother and a female general domestic servant.
On 14 February 1894 he was initiated as a Freemason in the Lewises Lodge No.1209 that met at the Royal Hotel, Harbour Street, Ramsgate, Kent and whose register showed that he was aged 32 years, was a civil engineer and resided at 53 Vale Road, Ramsgate. He resigned from this Lodge in March 1906.
He married Eva Nellie Todd (1868-1947) in the 3rd quarter of 1894 in the Hull registration district, Yorkshire. They were to have three children: Dorothy Eva Oxtoby (1895-1968) who was born in Ramsgate, Robert Henry Oxtoby (1896-1917) who was born in Bow, London and Charles William Eric Oxtoby (1899-1981) who was born in Woolwich, London.
The 1901 census shows him as a civil engineer living at 518 Lordship Lane, Dulwich, Camberwell, Surrey, with his wife, their three children, his sister-in-law Lucy Todd, together with a female nurse and a female general domestic servant.
On 31 January 1905 he applied to be admitted to The Freedom of The City of London by redemption, confirming that his address was 518 Lordship Lane, Dulwich and his occupation was a civil engineer, to which the Common Council of the City of London assented on 5 February 1905.
When he completed his 1911 census return form he described himself as a civil engineer employed by the Borough of Camberwell as the Borough Engineer, living in an eleven roomed house called Grangemouth at 50 Grove Park, Camberwell, with his wife, their three children, together with a cook and a housemaid.
He died, aged 55 years, his death being registered in the 1st quarter of 1918 in the Camberwell registration district. He was buried on 26 January 1918 in Square 71, Grave 25173, in Camberwell Old Cemetery, Forest Hill Road, London, SE22 0RU.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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