Robert McBride was an Irish-Canadian poet. He was born in the parish of Urblereagh near the village of Ardstraw

Ardstraw

Ardstraw is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, three miles northwest of Newtownstewart. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 222 people....

 in County Tyrone

County Tyrone

Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, sometime in late 1811 or early 1812.

Early life

Following the death of his father McBride “secured the position of Seal Master or inspector of linens, in the Strabane

Strabane

Strabane , historically spelt Straban,is a town in west County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council....

 Linen Hall, which position he held for six years." He then migrated to British North America, and after a stint in Hamilton moved to Halidmand County in Canada West (later Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

) where he owned and operated a store.

He remained there until the mid-1850s at which time he removed to Port Franks, Ontario

Port Franks, Ontario

Port Franks is a small Southern Ontario community in the municipality of Lambton Shores, Lambton County in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located along Kings Highway 21 near Pinery Provincial Park, about north of Thedford, Ontario...

 and became the first postmaster there. During his short tenure at Port Franks he became embroiled in local politics and some serious financial reverses which resulted in him serving time in debtor's prison in Sarnia

Sarnia, Ontario

Sarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....

.

Upon his release he secured a position as teacher in Warwick, Ontario

Warwick, Ontario

Warwick is a rural township in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,025.Bisected by the Egremont Road that was surveyed to link London with the Lake Huron shoreline in 1832, the township began to attract settlers including those helped by charitable organizations, such as Lord...

 in Lambton County, and then removed to Oil Springs

Oil Springs, Ontario

Oil Springs is a village in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada, located along Former Provincial Highway 21 south of Oil City. The village, an enclave within Enniskillen Township, is home to the Oil Museum of Canada....

in 1862. There he established himself as a merchant.

Poetry

In 1869 he published his voluminous Poems satirical & sentimental on many subjects connected with Canada : including a complete exposure of our County court and Divisional court system in several theatrical acts & dialogues, showing how the people have been, and are now victimized, all tending to prove on the part of those indicated, a complete conspiracy set up by them for the purpose of enslaving the people of this country; also a dissertation on the doings of the Canada Company' s land, jobbing, and other matterswhich was published in London, Ontario. The poetry and some accompanying essays describe his various trials and tribulations in poetic form, and target many of his opponents. McBride was an arch-Orangeman, an affiliation that came through in his next publication The Canadian Orange minstrel for 1870 : written for the purpose of keeping in remembrance the dark doings and designs of popery in this country : an antidote for Pamphile Lemay's songs, & c

There is no evidence that McBride published poetry after 1870.

Later life

He continued to live in Oil Springs until his death on 7 November 1895. McBride was married twice and by his first wife (whose name is not now known) he had two sons, John (1841–1862) and William T. (born circa 1844—alive 1901). His second wife was Mary (born circa 1830-alive 1851/2) and they had a daughter Elizabeth(born circa 1850), but both appear to have died by 1861 at which time Robert McBride was listed as a widower living with his two sons.