Person    | Male  Born 4/3/1885  Died 4/6/1963

William Alfred Westropp Foyle

Founded Foyles Bookshop in 1903. Born Shoreditch, the 7th child of a 7th child of a 7th child. William and brother Gilbert opened their first bookshop in Islington, moved to Peckham and then Cecil Court, already a street of bookshops. In about 1907 they moved to Charing Cross Road, where the bookshop stayed, with many extensions to the building. It was only in 1912 that the shop began selling new books, prior to that all books had been second-hand. The Manette Street extension was built and opened in 1929.

1945 he bought the abbey at Beeleigh for his home and library, an exceptional, in quality and size, collection of antiquarian books.

His daughter Christina joined the business and initiated the Literary Lunches. Our picture shows William with Christina.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
William Alfred Westropp Foyle

Commemorated ati

Foyles - William Foyle

Lord Justice Darling was in the shop. He offered me 4 shillings for a book m...

Read More

Other Subjects

Whitten Timber

Whitten Timber

A family run business, supplying natural timber and timber based products.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
A. Dashwood

A. Dashwood

Worked for the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society. Was on the building committee for the Bostall Estate in 1900.

Person, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Thomas James Clements

Thomas James Clements

1883, Trustee of Lopping Hall, Loughton. According to G. Sludge, ".. a tea broker".

Person, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Anglo-Brazilian Society

Anglo-Brazilian Society

Established to promote close and friendly relations between Brazil and Britain, and to increase British people's knowledge of Brazil and its culture.

Group, Commerce, Community / Clubs, Brazil

1 memorial

Previously viewed

River Effra - Canterbury Square 2

River Effra - Canterbury Square 2

SW9, Brixton Road, Canterbury Square

Photographed and numbered from north to south. A nearby information board: On your right is the old Roman road to the south coast (now t...

1 subject commemorated, 3 creators