Jun
2
By Stephen Harrison
On the 20th of June 1892, BC premier John Robson left his hotel in London for the British treasury, hoping to negotiate the details of an immigration project. Approaching the treasury office, his hansom cab driver made a sharp turn, causing the cab's open door to slam shut on the little finger of Robson's right hand. Six days later the 68 year-old premier was suffering from blood poisoning. A doctor amputated Robson's finger, but to no avail: he died before the month was out.
The Ross Bay Cemetery is rich with history, and beneath every plot, including Robson's, there is a story waiting to be told. A dozen former premiers are interred at Ross Bay Cemetery, and while their importance to BC's history varies, all are worth remembering. Amor de Cosmos is here, and his name has endured, but what about Robert Beaven, George Walkem, or the Davie brothers? More former premiers can be found in Royal Oak Burial Park, and in cities ranging from Duncan and Ashcroft to Ottawa and London.
Robson made his home in James Bay, and the local media suggested he be honoured with a public funeral. The late premier, accompanied by his wife and his niece, arrived in Montreal via steamship on July 20th, a month after the accident. Two friends had traveled east to meet them, and all headed west on the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Per his family's wishes, his July 28th funeral in Victoria was to be private. Government offices and businesses closed for the afternoon as Robson's casket moved from a small service at his home on Bird Cage walk to St. Andrew's Presbyterian church. Mourners turned out in numbers for the ostensibly private affair and joined the procession to Ross Bay Cemetery.
The fact that Robson died while in office contributed to the magnitude of the event, and his slow trip home provided the media with a built-in story. If Robson's death was unusual, the same can be said of his life. He served not only as an MLA, but also as mayor of New Westminster and a newspaper editor; he was also an early advocate of responsible government. His premiership was brief, but he played a key role in shaping British Columbia's political history.
Walking past the imposing monuments, modest tombstones, and unmarked graves in Ross Bay Cemetery, it's hard not to wonder who these people were. Familiar names are everywhere: Finlayson, Helmcken, Begbie, and Douglas, to name but a few. Searching for the BC premiers makes for an interesting afternoon, and it's an easy place to start: plot numbers and photographs of their grave markers can be found online. Exploring the history of any individual is a worthwhile endeavour, however, and many of the details of the lives and deaths of the British Columbians in Ross Bay Cemetery can be uncovered with a little bit of searching.
Information on John Robson was found in newspapers available on microfilm and online.