Matthew Thomas Fox House
19 Strachan Street
Built 1912
The house at 19 Strachan was built as an income property in 1912 by John Leslie Doig. John had emigrated in 1862 at around twelve years of age from Scotland to Canada with his family. His father was a farmer in South Easthope and so was John as an adult. It appears that he retired from farming around 1906 and moved to Stratford.
Matthew Thomas Fox was born on May 26, 1883 in Toller Porcorum, Dorset, England to Thomas Fox (1854-1884), an agricultural labourer, and Johanna (Joanna) Wakely (1858-1932). Matthew's father died when he was one. His mother remarried in 1886, and then again in 1899. In 1901 at the age of 17, Matthew was a carpenter's apprentice. On February 28, 1906 in Dorchester, Dorset, Matthew married Lily Kate Dibben, born on July 31, 1876 to Joseph Dibben (1845-1907), a dairyman, and later a licensed victualler (pub), and Elizabeth Saunders (1849-1932).
Matthew and Lily emigrated to Canada right after their wedding, arriving in Halifax on The Kensington about two weeks later on March 12, 1906. Interestingly, their first child, Francis (Frank) Henry was born in Stratford on August 10, 1906, less than six months after their wedding. They later had two more children: Margaret Lily on February 20, 1913 at 19 Strachan, and Harold William on June 29, 1920, also in Stratford.
When they emigrated to Canada, Matthew was listed as a carpenter/farmer. By 1907 Matthew and Lily were living at 78 Inverness in Stratford, and Matthew was listed as a brakeman for the Grand Trunk Railway. From 1909 to 1912 they were living at 112 Mowat. In 1912 they were the first tenants in the newly-built 19 Strachan, where they lived until 1915. By 1915 Matthew was listed as a conductor with the GTR. From 1916 to 1940 they lived at 64 Inverness. Matthew was a conductor from 1916 to 1920, and he was a baggageman from 1921 until 1940.
On October 3, 1939 Lily died of influenza at the Stratford General Hospital. She was buried in Avondale Cemetery.
It appears that Matthew moved to Toronto soon after Lily's death. On December 12, 1940 in Toronto he married Hazel Maude Portch, a widow. He was still listed as a train baggageman at this time. It appears that Hazel died a few years later, because by 1949 Matthew was living in Toronto with his youngest son, Harold, and his daughter-in-law, Hazel. He continued living with them until 1953, and was listed as retired during this time. Matthew died on October 23, 1953 and was buried in Avondale Cemetery.
Matthew and Lily's oldest son, Francis (Frank) Henry married Myrtle Phillis Harmer, an English immigrant. He worked as a stationary engineer at the Canadian National Railway shops in Stratford. Frank and Myrtle did not have any children. They were both buried in Avondale Cemetery. Matthew and Lily's daughter, Margaret Lily, married English immigrant Cyril Cooper, a boilermaker, and lived the rest of her life in London, Ontario. Margaret and Cyril had one son. Matthew and Lily's youngest child, Harold William, and his wife, Hazel, lived in Toronto, where Harold worked for Crippled Civilians, now known as Goodwill Industries.