Robert Dunsmuir
Encyclopedia
Robert Dunsmuir was a Scottish
-Canadian coal miner, railway developer, industrialist and politician
.
, Scotland
to 20 year old James Dunsmuir and his wife Elizabeth in 1825. At the time of his birth, his family was engaged in the coal business in his native Ayrshire
. Dunsmuir's grandfather, Robert, had leased coal properties and bought out local competitors in the days before the arrival of the railway in the 1840s permitting him to increase prices. In 1832, in the midst of this prosperity, Robert's mother, father, grandmother and two of his three sisters died within days of each other in a cholera epidemic which swept the area. Three years later, grandfather Robert died a relatively wealthy man, leaving a third of his estate in trust for his orphaned grandchildren. Dunsmuir was schooled locally at the Kilmarnock Academy and then at the Paisley Mercantile and Mechanical School, a training helpful in the coal business. He then went to work in local coal mines under his Aunt's husband Boyd Gilmour.
On September 11, 1847, at the age of 22, Dunsmuir married 19 year old Joan White. Eight days later, their first child, Elizabeth Hamilton was born. Their second child, Agnes, was also born in Scotland in 1849.
At the end of 1850, Dunsmuir's mentor, and his aunt's husband, Boyd Gilmour, had signed on with the Hudson's Bay Company
to exploit a coal finding on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island
at Fort Rupert
(near present day Port Hardy
). Because some of those who were to travel with him decided not to go upon hearing news of the conditions and prospects there, Gilmour sought replacements for his party at the last moment. On 24 hours' notice of this opportunity, Dunsmuir signed on. They sailed on the Pekin, for Fort Vancouver
, via Cape Horn
, on December 19, 1850. It took 191 days for them to arrive. Eight days later, on July 8, 1851, Joan Dunsmuir gave birth to their third child, James Dunsmuir
.
, and when they arrived on August 9, the three-year term on the contract with the Hudson's Bay Company
began. Gilmour struggled unsuccessfully to develop a producing coal operation at Fort Rupert until August 24, 1852 when Governor Douglas
instructed them to move on to Nanaimo where a coal seam had been discovered. Work proceeded but living conditions were difficult. In 1854 when the term of their HBC contracts came up and Governor Douglas refused to increase their pay rates, Gilmour left to return to Scotland. Dunsmuir stayed on. He went on to propose to Douglas that he carry on personally with the operation of a seam that Gilmour had thought was played out. On October 12, 1855, Dunsmuir commenced work on his own account and within a month was producing seven tons of coal a day. This venture was a modest success, but as the seam ran out, Dunsmuir was again employed to operate a new pit that the HBC opened in 1860.
Once the crown lease the HBC held expired in 1859, it had become possible for claims to be staked by others. In October 1869 Dunsmuir was fishing for trout at Diver Lake, a few miles north and west of Nanaimo, when he found a coal outcrop. He staked a claim to 1600 acres (6 km²) in a band 1000 yards (914.4 m) wide and 4 miles (6 km) long including the north half of Diver Lake and running right to Departure Bay in the area known as Wellington
. In order to stake a claim of this size, he was required to form a company, to be known as Dunsmuir, Diggle & Company. His sons James and Alexander and some others were partners but signed off once the legal requirement of partners in the venture had been met. Wadham Diggle, commander of the naval vessel Boxer, one of the first to use Dunsmuir's coal, invested $8,000 in the venture. Rear Admiral Arthur Farquhar
, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet invested a further $12,000. The two investors left the operation of the company to Dunsmuir. By 1873 the Wellington colliery was producing 16,000 of the 40,000 tons produced on Vancouver Island. By the end of 1875, Dunsmuir was producing 50,000 tons per year. Its two principal markets were San Francisco and the Royal Navy
. The company bought out Farquhar in 1879 and in 1883 Diggle was paid $600,000 for his half share of the business, then producing a profit of $500,000 per year.
to Nanaimo
, later extended to Wellington
, Victoria and Courtenay. His company received a grant of land comprising 20% of Vancouver Island
as an incentive to build and equip the railway line to be owned and operated by the company. The Dunsmuir railway station
was named after him.
while away on a European holiday, and was re-elected in 1886
. Shortly after election to the legislature, he entered the cabinet. Dunsmuir died at Victoria, British Columbia
while still in office.
is called Craigdarroch Castle
and is today a popular tourist destination and National Historic Site of Canada.
His son James Dunsmuir
became premier of British Columbia
and later, lieutenant governor
of the province
.
His daughter Effie (Anne Euphemia) Dunsmuir was married at St. George's, Hanover Square, London, England, March, 1900, to Captain Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, R.N., Naval Attache to the British Embassy, St. Petersburg. He was the son of Lieut-General Hon. S. J. Calthorpe, and grandson of the 6th Lord Calthorpe.
His daughter Maud Dunsmuir was married, in London, Eng., June, 1898, to Captain Reginald Spencer Chaplin, loth Royal Hussars, only son of Col. J. W. Chaplin, V.C., C.B., of Kenilworth Hall, Leicestershire. He served as an A.D.C. to Field Marshal Lord Roberts and served in South Africa.
Jessie Sophia became Lady Musgrave on her marriage to Sir Richard Musgrave.
as an indentured $5 a week miner for the Hudson's Bay Company
, he died the richest man in British Columbia in sole control of an empire estimated to be worth $15 million.($ million today)
In 1888, Alexander Dunsmuir was passing through Siskiyou County
California
, and according to contemporary accounts, was so taken with the beauty of the area that he offered to donate a fountain to a new town, if they would name the town in his honor. The offer was accepted, and Dunsmuir's fountain remains operational near the City Park in Dunsmuir, California
.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
-Canadian coal miner, railway developer, industrialist and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Origins in Scotland
Dunsmuir was born in HurlfordHurlford
Hurlford is a village in East Ayrshire, Scotland. Including Crookedholm, it has a population of 4,968. Hurlford's former names include Whirlford and Hurdleford. The village was named Whirlford as a result of a ford crossing the River Irvine east of Hurlford Cross, near Shawhill...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to 20 year old James Dunsmuir and his wife Elizabeth in 1825. At the time of his birth, his family was engaged in the coal business in his native Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
. Dunsmuir's grandfather, Robert, had leased coal properties and bought out local competitors in the days before the arrival of the railway in the 1840s permitting him to increase prices. In 1832, in the midst of this prosperity, Robert's mother, father, grandmother and two of his three sisters died within days of each other in a cholera epidemic which swept the area. Three years later, grandfather Robert died a relatively wealthy man, leaving a third of his estate in trust for his orphaned grandchildren. Dunsmuir was schooled locally at the Kilmarnock Academy and then at the Paisley Mercantile and Mechanical School, a training helpful in the coal business. He then went to work in local coal mines under his Aunt's husband Boyd Gilmour.
On September 11, 1847, at the age of 22, Dunsmuir married 19 year old Joan White. Eight days later, their first child, Elizabeth Hamilton was born. Their second child, Agnes, was also born in Scotland in 1849.
At the end of 1850, Dunsmuir's mentor, and his aunt's husband, Boyd Gilmour, had signed on with the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
to exploit a coal finding on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
at Fort Rupert
Fort Rupert, British Columbia
Fort Rupert is the site of a former Hudson's Bay Company fort which was built and first commanded by William Henry McNeill in 1849 and later by John Work. It is located near present-day Port Hardy, British Columbia on Vancouver Island....
(near present day Port Hardy
Port Hardy, British Columbia
Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Port Hardy has a population of 3822 at last census...
). Because some of those who were to travel with him decided not to go upon hearing news of the conditions and prospects there, Gilmour sought replacements for his party at the last moment. On 24 hours' notice of this opportunity, Dunsmuir signed on. They sailed on the Pekin, for Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver
Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Columbia District...
, via Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
, on December 19, 1850. It took 191 days for them to arrive. Eight days later, on July 8, 1851, Joan Dunsmuir gave birth to their third child, James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir was a British Columbian industrialist and politician. Son of Robert Dunsmuir, he was heir to his family's coal fortune. The Dunsmuir family dominated the province's economy in the late nineteenth century and were a leading force in opposing organized labour...
.
Early years in British Columbia
On July 18, 1851 they set sail for Fort RupertFort Rupert, British Columbia
Fort Rupert is the site of a former Hudson's Bay Company fort which was built and first commanded by William Henry McNeill in 1849 and later by John Work. It is located near present-day Port Hardy, British Columbia on Vancouver Island....
, and when they arrived on August 9, the three-year term on the contract with the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
began. Gilmour struggled unsuccessfully to develop a producing coal operation at Fort Rupert until August 24, 1852 when Governor Douglas
James Douglas (Governor)
Sir James Douglas KCB was a company fur-trader and a British colonial governor on Vancouver Island in northwestern North America, particularly in what is now British Columbia. Douglas worked for the North West Company, and later for the Hudson's Bay Company becoming a high-ranking company officer...
instructed them to move on to Nanaimo where a coal seam had been discovered. Work proceeded but living conditions were difficult. In 1854 when the term of their HBC contracts came up and Governor Douglas refused to increase their pay rates, Gilmour left to return to Scotland. Dunsmuir stayed on. He went on to propose to Douglas that he carry on personally with the operation of a seam that Gilmour had thought was played out. On October 12, 1855, Dunsmuir commenced work on his own account and within a month was producing seven tons of coal a day. This venture was a modest success, but as the seam ran out, Dunsmuir was again employed to operate a new pit that the HBC opened in 1860.
Coal
The lease from the crown that gave the HBC the rights to all of the coal found on Vancouver Island ran out in 1859, requiring the company to purchase the 6193 acres (25 km²) that made up its Nanaimo operation. With the new pit operational, the HBC sold its entire Nanaimo operation to the Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company in September 1862 for $200,000. Dunsmuir worked from time to time as Superintendent of that company and, as well, for the Harewood Coal Company of his friend Dr Alfred Benson, which failed to raise the capital it needed to exploit its claim.Once the crown lease the HBC held expired in 1859, it had become possible for claims to be staked by others. In October 1869 Dunsmuir was fishing for trout at Diver Lake, a few miles north and west of Nanaimo, when he found a coal outcrop. He staked a claim to 1600 acres (6 km²) in a band 1000 yards (914.4 m) wide and 4 miles (6 km) long including the north half of Diver Lake and running right to Departure Bay in the area known as Wellington
Wellington, British Columbia
Wellington is the name of a north Nanaimo, British Columbia neighbourhood, which was once the town of Wellington. The community was named for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington....
. In order to stake a claim of this size, he was required to form a company, to be known as Dunsmuir, Diggle & Company. His sons James and Alexander and some others were partners but signed off once the legal requirement of partners in the venture had been met. Wadham Diggle, commander of the naval vessel Boxer, one of the first to use Dunsmuir's coal, invested $8,000 in the venture. Rear Admiral Arthur Farquhar
Arthur Farquhar
Admiral Sir Arthur Farquhar KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:Farquhar joined the Royal Navy in 1829...
, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet invested a further $12,000. The two investors left the operation of the company to Dunsmuir. By 1873 the Wellington colliery was producing 16,000 of the 40,000 tons produced on Vancouver Island. By the end of 1875, Dunsmuir was producing 50,000 tons per year. Its two principal markets were San Francisco and the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. The company bought out Farquhar in 1879 and in 1883 Diggle was paid $600,000 for his half share of the business, then producing a profit of $500,000 per year.
Railway
Dunsmuir was one of the founders of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway Company which built the rail line from EsquimaltEsquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
to Nanaimo
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
, later extended to Wellington
Wellington, British Columbia
Wellington is the name of a north Nanaimo, British Columbia neighbourhood, which was once the town of Wellington. The community was named for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington....
, Victoria and Courtenay. His company received a grant of land comprising 20% of Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
as an incentive to build and equip the railway line to be owned and operated by the company. The Dunsmuir railway station
Dunsmuir railway station
The Dunsmuir railway station is located in Dunsmuir, British Columbia. The station is a flag stop on Via Rail's Victoria – Courtenay train dayliner service. The station is on the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island mainline, first appearing in railway maps in 1918. The station is named after...
was named after him.
Politics
Dunsmuir was elected to the BC Legislature representing Nanaimo in the 1882 electionBritish Columbia general election, 1882
This was the third election held after British Columbia became a province of Canada on July 20, 1871.-Non-party system:There were to be no political parties in the new province...
while away on a European holiday, and was re-elected in 1886
British Columbia general election, 1886
This was the fourth election held after British Columbia became a province of Canada on July 20, 1871. The number of members was increased for this election from 25 to 27, and the number of ridings increased to 13.- Non-party system :...
. Shortly after election to the legislature, he entered the cabinet. Dunsmuir died at Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
while still in office.
Craigdarroch
The home he built for his wife Joan Olive (White) Dunsmuir in Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
is called Craigdarroch Castle
Craigdarroch Castle
Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion. The mansion was designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to its landmark status in Victoria.-Description:...
and is today a popular tourist destination and National Historic Site of Canada.
Family
Elizabeth Hamilton (1847 - 1901); Agnes Crooks (1849 - 1889); James (1851 - 1920); Alexander (1853 - 1900); Marion (1855 - 1892); Mary Jean (1862 - 1928); Emily Ellen (1864 - 1944); Jessie Sophia (1866 - 1946); Annie Euphemia (1868 - 1952); Henrietta Maude (1872 - 1950).His son James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir was a British Columbian industrialist and politician. Son of Robert Dunsmuir, he was heir to his family's coal fortune. The Dunsmuir family dominated the province's economy in the late nineteenth century and were a leading force in opposing organized labour...
became premier of British Columbia
Premier of British Columbia
The Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
and later, lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the viceregal representative in British Columbia of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared with equally the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest...
of the province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
.
His daughter Effie (Anne Euphemia) Dunsmuir was married at St. George's, Hanover Square, London, England, March, 1900, to Captain Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, R.N., Naval Attache to the British Embassy, St. Petersburg. He was the son of Lieut-General Hon. S. J. Calthorpe, and grandson of the 6th Lord Calthorpe.
His daughter Maud Dunsmuir was married, in London, Eng., June, 1898, to Captain Reginald Spencer Chaplin, loth Royal Hussars, only son of Col. J. W. Chaplin, V.C., C.B., of Kenilworth Hall, Leicestershire. He served as an A.D.C. to Field Marshal Lord Roberts and served in South Africa.
Jessie Sophia became Lady Musgrave on her marriage to Sir Richard Musgrave.
Legacy
Thirty-eight years after arriving at the Colony of Vancouver IslandColony of Vancouver Island
The Colony of Vancouver Island , was a crown colony of British North America from 1849 to 1866, after which it was united with British Columbia. The united colony joined the Dominion of Canada through Confederation in 1871...
as an indentured $5 a week miner for the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, he died the richest man in British Columbia in sole control of an empire estimated to be worth $15 million.($ million today)
In 1888, Alexander Dunsmuir was passing through Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and according to contemporary accounts, was so taken with the beauty of the area that he offered to donate a fountain to a new town, if they would name the town in his honor. The offer was accepted, and Dunsmuir's fountain remains operational near the City Park in Dunsmuir, California
Dunsmuir, California
Dunsmuir is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. The population was 1,650 at the 2010 census, down from 1,923 at the 2000 census. It is currently a hub of tourism in Northern California as visitors enjoy fishing, skiing, climbing, or sight-seeing...
.
See also
- Craigdarroch CastleCraigdarroch CastleCraigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion. The mansion was designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to its landmark status in Victoria.-Description:...
- James DunsmuirJames DunsmuirJames Dunsmuir was a British Columbian industrialist and politician. Son of Robert Dunsmuir, he was heir to his family's coal fortune. The Dunsmuir family dominated the province's economy in the late nineteenth century and were a leading force in opposing organized labour...
- E&N RailwayE and N RailwayThe Southern Railway of Vancouver Island is in length, and is one of two remaining railways on Vancouver Island, the other being the Englewood Railway. The railroad runs from Victoria to Courtenay, with a branch line from Parksville to Port Alberni...
- Dunsmuir HouseDunsmuir HouseThe Dunsmuir House and Gardens is located in Oakland, California on a site. The Dunsmuir House has a neoclassical-revival architectural style and is listed in the US National Register of Historic Places...