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Robert Todd
Robert TODD was born 1832
at Brandon House, MB and baptized May 30, 1832. The Baptism record shows
Isabella
Dennet as his mother (Baptism Records, St. John's Cathedral O.Jones
and W.Cockran officiating). His father is Dr. William Todd, Sr. He
worked for the HBCo as Apprentice Postmaster from 1849-51 in the Swan River
District; 1852 in the Columbia District and his final posting was to the
Thompson River District, Kamloops in 1854 where he remained for 50 years.
He died in 1905.
WORK
RECORD FROM HUDSON BAY ARCHIVES:
NAME: TODD, ROBERT
PARISH: NATIVE ENTERED SERVICE: 1849
DATES: B. 1832 D. 1905
Appointments &
Service:
Outfit Year*:
Position:
Post:
District: HBCA Reference:
*An Outfit year ran
from 1 June to 31 May
1849 1852 Apprentice Postmaster Touchwood Hills
Swan River B.239/k/2 p. 458, 481;B.239/k/3 p.8
1852 1853 Disposable Columbia
B.239/g/
1853 1855 Appointed Apprentice Postmaster Umpqua
Oregon B.239/k/3 p.58, 83
1853 1855 Apprentice Postmaster Thompson
R., Western B.266/g/1-2
1855 1856 Apprentice Clerk Thompson
R., Western B.226/g/3; Search File Misc. T
1856 1857 Clerk Thompson
R., Western B226/g/4; Search File Misc. T
1857 1860 Clerk New Caledonia,
Western B.226/g/5-7; Search File Misc. T
1905, Dec Died at Kamloops
J.G. Costello, William Todd
, p. 65;
Gail Morin, Metis Families
Parents: William Todd & Isabella Dennett (E.4/1a
fo 90)
"Kamloops Inland Sentinel",
Fri., Dec. 1, 1905 (p 4): "The death occurred this morning at the Provincial
Home of Robert Todd, aged 74, one of the oldest pioneers of B.C. Deceased
was born where Brandon now stands and entered the employ of the Hudson's
Bay Co., whose post he kept in Kamloops about fifty years ago. For years
past he worked on a ranch at Shuswap, from whence he came to the Home in
March last. The funeral will take place tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock,
Rev. Akehurst officiating."
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"Chase: The Man and the
Village", Mary Balf, 1980, p 21
"Robert Todd took up land
at Shuswap immediately after Whitfield Chase in 1865. He was the son of
a Scottish [sic] fur-trader and an Indian mother, born in 1831 on the site
of Brandon. He naturally joined the H.B.C., and by 1854 was serving as
a clerk at Thompson's River Post in Kamloops. He seems to have been a responsible
and well-educated man, and at times took charge of the establishment during
the absence of the Chief Trader; more frequently he ran the Company's pack
train. He superintended the building of their ephemeral Fort Berens, across
the Fraser from Lillooet. In 1862 he left the H.B.C. to become an independent
packer, at first alone and then under the grandiose title of "R. Todd &
Co.", which meant that he had taken the elderly Samuel Bigham as partner
- a somewhat doubtful asset. In 1864 both pre-empted land on the east side
of the North Thompson to winter and breed pack animals, but this was next
year taken over by Adam P. Heffley. Bigham then attempted to start Kamloops'
first "restaurant", while Todd entered a loose partnership with Chase,
and took up an adjoining Shuswap pre-emption. In 1866 they ran a pack train
to the Big Bend gold rush, but the collapse of that over-rated Eldorado
made it a very brief venture. Todd apparently used his land only for pack
animals, and never attempted farming. He finally died in the Provincial
Home at Kamloops in 1905."
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"A Town Called Chase",
Joyce Dunn, 1994, p 66
"In 1866 the lifestyle of
those early days is revealed through Whitfield's Account Book during his
partnership with Robert Todd: the bartering of goods with the Hudson Bay
Company by Messrs. Todd and Chase Ranch, Little Lake, Thompson River, the
currency consisting of 16 grey linx, 4 1/2 lbs. beaver, 3 bear, 1 badger,
386 lbs. bacon. [from Whitfield Chase's personal papers courtesy of the
Kamloops Archives]"
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Index card at Kamloops
Archives
HBCo Journals:
Frazer 1854-5: in charge
of HBCo cattle, takes charge of T.R. post when Frazer away Manson 1859-62:
many trips listed, often left in charge of post, takes charge of Fort Berens
until closed, praised HBCo Accounts l863-4: now works as packer alone and
then in partnership with Bigham, many detailed accounts, some for R. Todd
& Co., later partner with Chase
"Advertiser" June
15, 1939 - pre empted land 1864 on east side of North Thompson south of
Courignon River (Bourdignon?), taken over by Adam Heffley - Heffley Creek
"Colonist" June 6,
1866 - has fine land en route to Big Bend, but reporter complains not properly
used, as no milk or food for sale "Geological Survey of Canada 1875-6",
p. 31, A. C. Selwyn reports, one of party on survey of Quesnel to Peace
River, apparently didn't go far north, "Scotch half-breed"
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"Servants of the Honourable
Company", Edith Burley, 1997, pp. 14, 184 Robert was in charge at Stuart's
Lake c1851