2 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