The Charters and boats (I)

My grandfather Harvey Charters was an avid sailor and canoeist. According to my grandmother, it was Harvey's mother, Jennie Evans, who taught him to paddle. Her father, Alfred Evans, was a boat-builder from England.

The city directory of 1877 lists Alfred Evans as a boat-builder, with his workplace on Esplanade at the foot of Princess Street.

These days the south side of the Esplanade is land, but in the nineteenth century it was still water. Alfred worked on the south side of the street. In fact, here is a city plan from 1889 showing how the south sides of the lots are surrounded by the lake. Princess Street is at the far right of the map.

(Digitzed map from Photobucket)

What did the area look like at the time? It was pretty industrial! Here is a photo of the Esplanade and Berkeley Street, further west.

Photo from Torontoist and City of Toronto Archives

One of Alfred's relations may have been William Evans, who according to the 1866 Toronto directory was living at 76 Elm Street and whose profession was listed as "mariner." Perhaps it is also just a complete coincidence, but in 1866, Richard Blashford was also living on Elm Street, at No. 82. Richard Blashford was Joseph Charters's uncle; Joseph Charters was the man who married Jennie Evans. The only Willie Evans in my family tree, however, is Alfred's only son, born in 1889, who did not survive his first year.