Thomas Hickman Tye

By Michael Verhagen

Member of the Grand Jury that Heard the Trial of Tshuanahusset

Thomas Hickman Tye was born in England and came to British Columbia in 1862, intending to become rich in the gold fields of the Cariboo. Yet, like most, that would not be the case. Instead, Tye established a successful hardware store in Victoria that would long outlive him, and be a staple in Victoria until the mid 1970s. Upon its closing, it was thought to be the oldest hardware wholesalers in the Pacific Northwest.

Tye married Altie Louisa Galley in 1874. She, too, was born in England but moved first to Hamilton, Ontario, where she lived with her family for several years until they made their way to Victoria. The couple was well known and established in the social and business elite of Victoria's early days. They would often entertain in their large eighteen-room house located near what was the "Fountain," a prestigious area in Victoria's history. The neighbourhood was close to the present-day intersection of Government Street, Hillside Avenue and Gorge Road. Their home was built on the land currently occupied by the Times-Colonist building. The couple had at least two children; their son, Thomas Beauchamp Tye, was born in Victoria, but was educated in England. The young Tye was a well-known local sportsman, who followed in his father's footsteps and operated the Hickman Tye Hardware Co.

Thomas Hickman Tye passed away in Victoria on February 2, 1917.