Wilfrid Benjamin Oxley was born in Helmsley, Yorkshire, England in 1880 and was articled to S. F. Poynol [?] from 1897 to 1900 during which time he attended Leicester School of Art. From 1900 to 1903 he worked as an assistant to Edward Burgess (1848?-?) in Leicester. Whilst apparently working for Burgess he established his own architectural practice in Leicester in 1902. In 1903 he was appointed Chief Architectural Assistant to Leicestershire Education Committee. In 1911 he qualified as an architect and in 1912 was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA).
During World War One he served as a Captain in the Royal Engineers. Following the war he resumed his architectural practice in Leicester. In 1922 he moved to South Africa and settled in Durban where he established a new architectural practice. He also taught architectural history and construction at Natal Technical College. He was elected a member of the Institute of South African Architects (ISAA) in 1927 and was a member of the Natal Institute of Architects.
Oxley's address was given as "The Ryecroft", Thurnby, near Leicester in 1914 and 33 Friar Lane, Leicester in 1919. By 1924 he had moved to South Africa and in 1937 his address was given as 32 Gardiner Street, Durban, South Africa. Whilst on a visit to England he died suddenly at 100 Falloden Way, Hampstead, London on 2 November 1953
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Residences at Kirby Muxloe, Leicester; various small houses near Leicester; schools, cottages, farm buildings, etc. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001