 |
Charles Wesley Handscomb
|
Journalist.
Born at Dover, England in 1867, the son of Aquilla Barber Handscomb and Harriet Wesley (1834-1893), he moved to Winnipeg in 1879 and joined the Winnipeg Times, and later was employed by the Manitoba Free Press. In 1887, he was elected the first Secretary of the Winnipeg Press Club. He worked for a time as a newspaperman in the United States and, on returning to Winnipeg, he became editor and proprietor of Town Topics. He was also Dramatic Editor for the Free Press.
On 15 March 1883, he married Anna Pratt (1865-1945, later married to William Forbes Perkins) of Clinton, Ontario and they had one daughter, Sybil Wesley Handscomb (c1884-1945, wife of George R. Ryan). Possessed of a fine tenor voice, he sang in Winnipeg and also on the musical stage in the United States. He was one of Winnipeg’s first playwrights, authoring a play entitled “Boom Times” in the early 1880s. He died of diptheria at Winnipeg on 2 June 1906 and was buried in the St. James Cemetery.
Marriage and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Henderson Directories Limited, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.
“Chas. W. Handscomb answers the final call,” Manitoba Free Press, 2 June 1906, page 19.
Pioneers and Early Citizens of Manitoba, Winnipeg: Manitoba Library Association, 1971.
Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by John M. “Jack” Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
We thank Lyle Brennen for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 29 June 2024
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
