General Notes

ROBERT SEMPLE was born 23 May 1837 in Ochiltree, Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of Alexander Semple and his wife, Agnes Currie. Robert was seventh out of 8 children; he had 3 older brothers and 2 older sisters. A third sister had died as a young girl a few years before Robert was born, and one final brother was born to the family when Robert was 2 years old. Robert's father, Alexander, worked as a labourer, and as a thatcher. Robert was baptized in the parish of Ochiltree on 8 June 1837, and he spent his early childhood there, but at some point the family moved — perhaps after the death of his mother — to Newton on Ayr, just outside the city of Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland. It is not known exactly when his mother Agnes passed away, but it was sometime before the 1851 census and so Robert was less than 13 years old when she died.

As a young man, Robert was attracted by the glamor of a military life, so as soon as he turned 18, he joined the Royal Engineers to serve in the Crimean War. At that point it was more than midway through the conflict (1853 –1856), so he was fortunate to serve through the remainder of the war without injury. After the war ended, he was sent with his corps to fix the boundaries in Russia and Asia Minor. Then he returned to Ayrshire on furlough for a time. At the end of his term of duty Robert re-enlisted to serve with the engineers in British Columbia.

In 1857 the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush caused a huge influx in population to the Thompson River area in British Columbia; this caused additional needs for government and infrastructure. One consequence was the founding of British Columbia as its own Colony (2 August 1858). Another concern was the land boundary between the British Crown lands and the United States. Even though more than a decade earlier the Oregon Treaty of 1846 had set the boundary at the 49th parallel, now that the population had exploded, the government felt the need to make that virtual boundary into a physical one. So in May 1858 fifty axe-men, under the supervision of chief commissioner Col. Hawkins, set up to clear a 50-foot wide swathe of land through the wilderness along the 49th parallel from Point Roberts to the mountains. It took 4 years for the work to be completed; Robert's job, during that time, was as the assistant to the chief commissioner.

About 1861 in British Columbia, when he was 24 years old (and while still working for the Royal Engineers), Robert married Margaret VEITCH, the 17-year-old daughter of William Veitch and Jean Bertram. Margaret was also a native of Scotland, born 23 April 1844 and baptized 6 May 1844 in Peebles, Peeblesshire, Scotland. Her father, however, had work with the Hudson Bay Company, and so Margaret's family was one of the earliest emigrant families to British Columbia; they had arrived in 1850 when she was barely 6 years old.

Robert and Margaret had two children born to their union who survived to adulthood. Their first son, Alexander William Semple (1862 –1950), was born in Victoria on 25 June 1862 when Robert was 25 and Margaret was 18.  It was about this time that the work on cutting out the 49th parallel came to a conclusion, and Robert left the engineers, settling permanently in Victoria with his new family. 

Before he had entered army service, Robert had trained as a machinist and he went back to that kind of work. He worked for the Albion Iron Works, and later on for the R. C. Marine Railway yards. In addition to his renown as one of Victoria's earliest settlers, Robert was also a large property owner in West Victoria. He built the well-known Semple's Hall, which was one of the best in the city in its time (although its grandeur was surpassed by subsequent development in the city).

Eight years after the birth of Alexander, when Robert was 33 and Margaret was 26, their daughter Jane Bertha Semple (1870 –1941) was born on 05 June 1870 in Victoria, British Columbia. Whether there were other children who died in infancy is unknown, but it seems likely that there were.

Robert died on 14 October 1911 in Victoria West, British Columbia, at the age of 74 years. He was predeceased by his parents and by all his siblings (with the possible exception of William, whose fate is unknown), as well as by a daughter-in-law, and 2 grandchildren. He was survived by his wife of 50 years, Margaret, by his son Alexander, his daughter Jane, his son-in-law Herbert Robinson, and by 5 grandchildren.  Robert's funeral was held on the 17th of October 1911. After a gathering at the family home at 2 pm, services were held at Colwood Church at 3:30 pm, and Robert was laid to rest in Colwood Pioneer Cemetery.  Robert's grave is unmarked. 

Nine years after his death, Robert's wife Margaret died on 15 November 1920 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She was also buried in Colwood Cemetery.

-- bio written by me for FindAGrave, 10 Sep 2015, kmh.

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  Burial Notes

Colwood Pioneer Cemetery, unmarked grave

  Recorded Events in His Life

• He resided at Old Whitehill in Ochiltree, Ayrshire, Scotland on 6 June 1841. ²

• He appeared on the 1841 Census of Scotland on 6 June 1841 in Ochiltree, Ayrshire, Scotland. ^{2 10}
  

1841 Census of Scotland - Piece: SCT1841/609
     Place:  Ochiltree-Ayrshire
     Enumeration District:  4
     Civil Parish:  Ochiltree
     Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island:  Ochiltree
     Parish Number:  609
     Folio:  4
     Page:   8

Address: Old Whitehill

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                                  Estimated
Surname  First name   Sex   Age   Birth Year   Occupation     Where Born   Remarks

SEMPLE   Alexander     M     40    abt 1801    Labourer       Ayrshire
SEMPLE   Agness        F     40    abt 1801    -              Ayrshire
SEMPLE   Margaret      F     15    abt 1826    -              Ayrshire
SEMPLE   Mary          F     10    abt 1831    -              Ayrshire
SEMPLE   Alexander     M      5    abt 1836    -              Ayrshire
SEMPLE   Robert        M      3    abt 1838    -              Ayrshire
SEMPLE   James         M      1    abt 1840    -              Ayrshire   

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• He resided at Main Street, Town of Newton in Newton on Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland on 30 March 1851. ³

• He appeared on the 1851 Census of Scotland on 30 March 1851 in Newton on Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland. ³
  

Alexander Semple   Head     Wid   M   54   Thatcher            Ayrshire Coylton
Margaret    "      Daur     U     F   26   Straw Hat Maker        "     Stair
Mary        "      Daur     U     F   20          "               "     Ochiltree
Alexander   "      Son      U     M   16   Grocer (App)           "        "
Robert      "      Son      U     M   13   Iron Monger (App)      "        "
James       "      Son      U     M   11   Scholar                "        "
Elizabeth McEwen   Lodger   U     F   18   Hand Sewer             "     Maybole

• He worked as an apprentice iron monger on 30 March 1851 in Newton on Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland. ³

• He worked as a machinist on 31 March 1901 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. ¹¹

• He appeared on the 1901 Census of Canada on 31 March 1901 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. ¹¹
  

Semple Robert     M  W   Head            M   23 May   1837   64   Scotland   1858   Scotch   Canadian Christian Free Church   Machinist
  "    Mrget      F  W   Wife            M   23 April 1844   56   Scotland   1853   Scotch   Canadian   "  
  "    Alexandr   M  W   Son             W   25 June  1862   38   B.C.              Scotch   Canadian Presb                   Carriage Builder
  "    Jane. B.   F  W   Daughter        S    5 June  1870   30   B.C.              Scotch   Canadian Presb
  "    Robt. A.   M  W   Gran Son        S   13 March 1886   15   B.C.              Scotch   Canadian Presb
  "    Viola      F  W   Gran Daughter   S   18 Jany  1888   13   B.C.              Scotch   Canadian Presb
  "    Stanly     M  W   Gran Son        S   13 Sept  1895    5   B.C.              Scotch   Canadian Presb
  "    Margaret   F  W   Gran Daughter   S    4 Oct   1893    7   B. C.             Scotch   Canadian Presb

• Gallery: Profile of Robert Semple, published in the Victoria Daily Colonist, on 27 March 1910, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLGN-4ZG : accessed 6 September 2015) (Click on Picture to View Full Size)" ALT="picture">

• Gallery: Death Certificate, on 14 October 1911, in Victoria West, British Columbia, Canada.

• His obituary was published in the Victoria Daily Colonist on page 17, columns 2 and 3, on 15 October 1911 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
  
  VICTORIA DAILY COLONIST
  Sunday, October 15, 1911
  
  PASSING OF PIONEER
  
  Mr. Robert Semple Came to Victoria in the Early Sixties.
  
     Mr. Robert Semple, one more of the now dwindling band of pioneers who came to the then small place of Victoria to grow with the city, passed away at his home, 1165 Catherine street, yesterday at the age of 74 years. Mr. Semple was an old and respected resident of the city, more particularly of Victoria West and arriving here in the early sixties.
     The deceased was a native of Scotland and was a well-known machinist after his arrival in this city. He was employed in the early days by the Albion Iron works and later on at the B. C. Marine Railway yards, from where he retired some years ago. He was a large property owner in Victoria West and built the well-known Semple's hall many years ago, which was one of the best in the city at that time.
     A widow, one daughter, Mrs. H. Robinson, of Esquimalt road, and Mr. Alexander Semple are left to mourn his death, besides a host of friends, who have heard of his demise with heartfelt regret.
     The funeral has been arranged to take place from the residence at 2 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon and at 3:30 o'clock at the Colwood church, where services will be held. Interment will be made in the Colwood cemetery.