CHARLES WILLOUGHBY #2
FATHER William Willoughby
MOTHER Eleanor (Helen ?) Stringer
MARRIED Mary Ellen Rea
CHILDREN
1 Isabel Regina Willoughby 1889 - born in Regina, Sask.
2 William Gowan Willoughby 1891 -
3 Charles Morley Willoughby 1893 -
4 Eleanor Evelyn Willoughby 1895 - born in Regina
5 Anna Mae Willoughby 1898 -
Notes: (by Isobel Willoughby)
Charles came to Regina in 1885 and lived there the rest of his life. He was a stone mason
and bricklayer and built a great many buildings in the early days. His first big contract was
the Industrial School in 1889. Other buildings were the court house, land office, jail, several
schools, and the Metropolitian Church. During the great depression of the 1930's, when Mr.
Willoughby drove out with a horse.
During a trip East, he became engaged to Mary Ellen Rea. They were married in Almonte on
20th. Feb., 1889. It had been a very mild winter and the men played baseball on New Years
Day. It did not rain all summer and water for washing had to be bought and often strained
to remove the polliwogs. After Almonte, Regina seemed very bare to Mrs. Willoughby as there was not a tree in town. They lived on Rose Street, Broad Street, Cornwall Street and
in the Balford Apartments.
Charles Willoughby was on Regina's first baseball team, a good curler and golfer, was on the
City Councel for several years and on the board of the Metropolitan Church. He had one of
the first automobiles in Regina. At one time he was president of the Saskatchewan Life Company.
During the last few years of his life, he went to California every winter, where he played golf.
He was a Conservative. He died at age 74 years.
Charles can be seen at the following website. He is in "Saskatchewan and its people" by
John Hawke (three volumes, pubished 1924) and is now on-line at:
file///C:/Windows/temporary%20internet%files/content.IE5/OTABAOF/12yb0577%5BI%5Djpg.
SASKATCHEWAN AND ITS PEOPLE CHARLES WILLOUGHBY
Charles Willoughby is numbered among Regina's builders and pomoters. He has been
identified with the city's interests along commercial, industrial and financial lines for many
years and his activity and enterprise have brought him to a most prominent position in
connection with those projects and movements which have constituted important factors in
the City's growth. Moreover, the integrity of his business methods has commended him to
the confidence and respect of all and he is today one of Regina's most honored and valued
residents. He was born in Brockville, Ontario in 1857, a son of William and Ellen (Stringer)
Willoughby, both natives of Ireland, who left their native country and came to Canada,
locating in Ontario about 1844. The father was a sucessful contractor and followed that line
of business throughout his life. To Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby ten children have been born,
eight of whom are living, Charles Willoughby, whose name induces this review, being the
fourth in order of birth. The religious faith of Mr. and Mrs. Willoughby was of the Methodist
Church and faternally he was a Scottish Rite Mason. He took an active interest in politics,
being a stanch supporter of the Conservative Party and he served as reeve of the township
and village for some time.
The public schools of Almonte afforded Charles Willoughby his early education and
subsequently he engaged in contracting with his father. He left the parental roof at an early
age and went to Chicago, Illinois, where he followed the trade of bricklayer for some time.
He worked as a foreman of a Company in that city until 1882 and then returned to Canada and
located in Winnipeg, where he was employed as foreman on the Cushone block. In 1885 he
came to Regina for the Winnipeg contracting firm of Jelly and Soucie and he supervised the
completion of the jail and post office for that firm. He then engaged in contracting on his own
account and some twenty-five years ago formed a partnership in a lumber business with W. H.
Duncan. They started on a small scale and today have one hundred and fifty yards throughout
Saskatchewan. The yards are conducted under the Beaver Company, Mr. Willoughby being
Director, and Mr. Duncan,vice-president. Mr. Willoughby is also Vice-President of some of
the subsidary yards and companies. He is President of the Saskatchewan Life Company,
director of the Saskatchewan Trust Company and vice-president of the Capital Ice Company.
He is also director in the Regina Foundry. Mr. Willoughby has won success as the result of
his own intelligently directed efforts, grim determination and laudable ambition and he enjoys
confidence and esteem of all who know him.
