James Foster

James Foster

Individual

Company

Precision Making in Canada Before 1918. https://omeka.uottawa.ca/instrument-precision/exhibits/show/precision-makers-1857-1918

1846

1915

Osgoode Street, Toronto, Ontario

Adelaide Street, Toronto, Ontario

1873 - 40 Colbourne Street, Toronto, Ontario

1883 - 13 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario

by 1900 - 71 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario

by 1915 - 15 Queen St. East, Toronto, Ontario

Surveying, Meteorological, Scientific

Manufacturing, Repairing, Supplying, Importing, Designing

- 1830 – James Foster born in Toronto. (Pantalony)

- 1846 – Foster starts work as mathematical instrument maker; apprenticed to instrument maker T.B. Timpson in Toronto. (Daniels, W.J.)

- 1854 – “Opened own shop on Osgoode” (Daniels, W.J.)

- 1864 – “He began business for himself on Adelaide Street” (“Biographical Notices”)

- 1873 – Moves to new premises at 40 Colborne Street and commenced the manufacture of surveying and engineering instruments.” (“Biographical Notices”)

- 1882 - Assembles the telescope known in the present-day as the Wray-Brydon telescope. ("A Telescopes's First Century")

- 1883 – Company moves to 13 King Street West (Pantalony)

- 1890 – Toronto City Directory lists company at 13 King W. Street, Toronto, with William Robson as Instrument Maker, William Simpson as electrician, William Moore as instrument maker. (Might’s Toronto City Directory, 1890)

- 1900 – Company active at 71 King Street W.

- 1909 – Company active at Toronto at 71 King Street West, employing William Robson as machinist and James A. Brodie as optician, Harry Brooks as apprentice, Joseph J. Chaffer as apprentice. Advertising as “Optician – Mathematical Instrument Maker – Eyesight Tested Free.” (Might’s Toronto City Directory, 1909)

- 1912 – James Foster dies.

- 1915 – Company active at 15 Queen St. E. under management of James Brodie. (Might’s Toronto City Directory, 1909)

Mulvany, Charles Pelham et al., History of Toronto and County of York, Ontario: Biographical Notices (Toronto: Robinson, C.B., 1885): 50-51.

Daniels, William J. “Aspects of Scientific Enterprise in Victorian Toronto” Ontario Land Surveyor (Spring 2005) (https://www.krcmar.ca/resource-articles/2005_Spring_Aspects%20of%20Scientific%20Enterprise_1.pdf): 13

Mozel, P. “A Telescope’s First Century” Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Vol. 78:2, No. 587 (1984) (https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1984JRASC..78...75M): 75

Pantalony, D. “James Foster” https://biblio.uottawa.ca/omeka1/dpantalony/exhibits/show/canadian-survey-instrument-mak/james-foster [10-07-24]

The Toronto City Directory for 1890 (R.L Polk & Co., 1890)

The Toronto City Directory 1900 XXV (The Might Directory Co., of Toronto, Limited, 1900)

The Toronto City Directory 1909 XXXIV (Might Directories, Limited, 1909)

The Toronto City Directory 1915 XL (Might Directories, Limited, 1915)

Watson, A.D. “Astronomy in Canada” The Journal of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada XI, No. 2 (Feb. 1917): 59-60.