Charles Henry Foyle

Charles Henry Foyle (18 March 1878[1] – 9 December 1948)[2] was an English businessman who invented the folding carton. He founded Boxfoldia in Birmingham in 1920, a company that was finally sold in 2003.[3]

In 1940, he put £7,000 (equivalent to £483,000 in 2023) into a trust for general charitable objectives, including medical and educational facilities and housing for the working classes. Trustees were drawn from the City Council, the University of Birmingham and from the founder's family, and additional advisors were nominated from the company. The trust had an annual income of £5,500 by 1952 (equivalent to £199,900 in 2023).[4] The C. H. Foyle Trust later adapted its memorandum to support educational, recreational and artistic activities of a charitable nature, with an emphasis on those from deprived areas in the West Midlands, with an income of £148,683 in 2008 (equivalent to £250,611 in 2023).[5][6][7][8][9] Over its seventy years, the Trust supported many individuals and schools and hundreds of charitable organisations, in both educational and other fields, with grants ranging from a few tens to many thousands of pounds. Major beneficiaries have included the Midlands Arts Centre, the Bramall Music Building at the University of Birmingham, the Birmingham Museum and Arts Gallery for the Staffordshire Hoard, and Selly Oak Hospital for the Uli Nimptsch statue, Compassion.

Charles Henry Foyle was born in Hoxton, London. His brothers William and Gilbert Foyle founded Foyles bookshop in London. He privately published Alice Through The Paper-Mill,[10] an Alice in Wonderland-inspired satire on war-time paper control regulations with 12 illustrations by Arthur Wragg.

References

1. 1939 England and Wales Register
2. Food Manufacture, Volume 23, Issue 1. Morgan Grampian. 1948. p. 87.
3. Boxfoldia Ltd, packaging manufacturers, Redditch : Catalogue description records. The National Archives. 1900–1999. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
4. Stephens, W B, ed. (1964) [1958]. Charities for the Poor | British History Online. London: British History Online : Institute of Historical Research. pp. 556–557. Retrieved 18 March 2020. C. H. Foyle Trust.: By a deed of 1940 C. H. Foyle gave £7,000 in trust for general charitable objects, including medical and educational facilities and housing for the working classes. Considerable additions were made to the trust, and in 1952 the annual income was about £5,500, which was distributed as directed.(6)[...]6. Notes on some of the Charities, Trusts, Institutions, etc. administered in the City of Birm. publ. by direction of the General Purposes Cttee. of the City Council (4th edn. 1952). {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
5. "Removed charity : 220446 - THE CHARLES HENRY FOYLE TRUST". The Charity Commission for England and Wales. Retrieved 18 March 2020. Registration history : 20 February 2015: Removed - CEASED TO EXIST ; 6 March 1964 Registered
6. 20th cent: additional records with those of the Charles Henry Foyle Trust. The National Archives. 1900–2000.
7. "Charity Details". beta.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2020. The Charles Henry Foyle Trust : This charity was registered on 6 Mar 1964, It was removed from the register on 20 February 2015. Reason for removal: Ceased to exist.
8. "APPENDIX 1 : Earmarked Reserves 2010/11" (PDF). Retrieved 17 March 2020. Charles Henry Foyle Trust, 2009/10 b/fwd £ -4,854, Contributions during 2010/11 £0, Funds Used During 2010/11 £500, Balance C/fwd 2010/11 £ -4,354
9. "Earmarked Reserves Schedule 13-14 Appendix 1 Exe 290714 : FINANCIAL RESERVES STATEMENT 2013/14 APPENDIX 1" (PDF). Retrieved 17 March 2020. Charles Henry Foyle Trust, [£]-2,704, Donation only to be used on exhibitions at Forge Mill. To be drawndown in [20]14/[20]15.
10. Foyle, Charles Henry (1940). Preface. Alice through the paper-mill: In Respectful Criticism of the Paper Control and Kindred Matters relating to the Present State of the Trade. A Plea for an Equitable System of Planning whereby to ensure a Measure of Efficiency and a Degree of Order for All Concerned. By Wragg, Arthur. Written and Pictured by Arthur Wragg a long way after Lewis Carroll and Sir John Tenniel in all due Deference to those Inspired Gentlemen. The Whole being Sponsored by C.H. Foyle, of Boxfoldia, Ltd., Bournbrook, Birmingham, in the interest of the Paper Trade in General. Bournbrook, Birmingham: C. H. Foyle, Boxfoldia, Ltd. OCLC 499854335. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Probably the greatest advantage this country possesses over the enemy with which it is at war is that its people have freedom to criticise. So long as that right is not abused and the criticism is well-informed and able to be justified, alongside it an obligation exists—that the criticism shall not be ignored. Alt URL