William Samuel Frew was born in Scotland in 1894 according to official records although his grave here at the Princeton cemetery says 1890. Did he say he was older/younger than he was for some purpose such as joining the army or to emigrate to Canada? Or was it just the uncertainty of the times? We just don’t know.
By the time the World War I started in 1914, Bill was a member of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders). His military regiment was 3616. Bill was a Sergeant, and his Service number was 2466. He was discharged on May 10, 1919.
At this time Bill was married to Isobel Mcwhirter (1895-1933), and together, while still living in Scotland, they had two children Alex (1920 – 1981) and Margaret (Gretta) (1924 – 1982).
Within a few years the family had emigrated to Canada. It’s unclear if Bill came over first or if they came over as a family. In 1927 Isobel came straight to Blakeburn and set up home. Bill was working as a miner. During the Great Mining disaster of Blakeburn in August of 1930 that killed 45 good men, William was helping with rescue efforts when he had his own close call with death. This article from The Princeton Star dated October 30, 1930 explains what happened:
Blakeburn Mine Disaster, 1930
NEAR THING
It is only now realized how close carbon monoxide, or after-damp, lurking in the mine after the explosion came to taking one more life.
Though more than a score of men were gassed, and some of them have been down two or three times, of all cases the most serious was that of William Frew, who was taken unawares when assisting the erection of a fire stopping.
Brought to the surface, he was unconscious, and twice artificial respiration had to be applied when his heart stopped, He was revived, however, though not without effort.
Officials are very anxious that no life be lost in rescue work.
Bill took to life in Blakeburn pretty well and was an active member of the community. In his early years there he was on the Blakeburn football team. He often went hunting and was known to come back with bear or dear, one time coming back with a nice 3 pronged buck. Even later in life he was still involved by coming 1st in a Tulameen whist drive in 1945.
Tragedy struck William’s family in 1933, when he lost his wife Isobel from complications following a surgery, leaving Bill to raise their children who were 11 and 9 at the time. Things didn’t seem to get any better for Bill when a year later in November of 1934, he was remanded for eight days for a charge of theft of goods from a car. Through all this he still managed to bring up his children well, with both Alex and Gretta doing well at school especially in various sporting activities.
In 1938 William suffered severe back injuries when apparently injured by a trip in the main haulage way. The nature of the accident was apparently unexplained.
By the time World War II came along Bill had to watch his son go off to fight. Alex enlisted in 1940 and went over seas that same year, serving with the 3rd R.C.A. (Light anti-aircraft). Through that darkness some light did shine, as in March of 1943, Alex was married in England to Miss Grenda Griffin. Alex made it through the war and arrived back in Tulameen in 1945, where he would have been anxiously greeted by his father Bill, who then had a further wait to meet his new daughter in law, who was still back in England waiting for transportation to Canada.
By the time 1954 rolled around Bill was retired and living in his cabin in Granite City. He received a small army pension which combined with a little “sniping” along the creek enabled him to eat his three meals a day and buy tobacco. Bill featured in a Vancouver Sun article that year about being one of the last people living in Granite City along with three other oldtimers all called Bill! You can read that full article here on the Granite Creek Preservation Society website.
Vancouver Sun Article, 1954
The people of these mining towns in the valley would work hard and play hard. One can only imagine now the parties and dances they would have. We can get a small taste of what it would be like though as we have some recordings of some songs Bill sang at one such outing to the Coalmont Hotel. Go to the Audio section to listen to the individual songs or play the whole playlist here.
Mystery Solved
This photo was part of a set for an article published in the Vancouver Sun in 1954 titled “Only Bills Are Left”. This one wasn’t used, but in 2016, The Granite Creek Preservation Society needed help in identifying the two boys in the photo.
The photo was published in the Similkameen News Leader in February 2016 (see here). By the following week they had had their answer! (see here).
William Samuel Frew didn’t strike it rich here in the Valley, he wasn’t a leading figure in the community like the Cooks or the Rabbitts. He was just a man living his life, just like so many others who came to this part of the world to work the coal mines after most of the gold had gone.
Bill died September 15, 1976 in Vancouver and is interred at the Princeton Cemetery.
26 February 2024 @ 11:39 am
William Frew was the last resident at Blakeburn, residing there until 1943 (the town closed in 1940). Today his house survives near the #4 mine haulage tunnel.