| Robert Thorburn is managed by the Canada Project. Join: Canada Project Discuss: canada |
Preceded by William Whiteway |
8th Premier of the Colony of Newfoundland 12 October 1885 – December 1889 |
Succeeded by William Whiteway |
A premier of Newfoundland.
Robert Thorburn was born March 28, 1836 in Scotland to Robert Thorburn and Alison Grieve. Biographies cite the location as Walkerburn, however a birth record gives the location as Traquier[1]. The two towns are within 4 miles of each other in Peebleshire, Scotland.
The family farmed at Juniperbank in Traquier. In 1841, Robert was the second eldest of five children in the home of Robert and Alison Thorburn.[2] Robert would attend school in Edinburgh. In 1851 he was a student and lodging in the home of George Dickson on 2 Hill Square in the city.[3]
In 1852 Robert was sent to Canada to work for his uncle, Walter Grieve, who was a partner in a trading company with offices in Greenock, Scotland and St John's Newfoundland. His uncle would start his own firm in 1855 and in the early 1860's would make Robert a partner and manager of the Newfoundland operations of Walter Grieve and Company.
On June 27, 1865, Robert Thorburn of St John's married Susanna Milroy of Hamilton in Wentworth County, Canada West. Susanna was originally from St John's.[4] They would have five children.
Robert Thorburn died on April 12, 1906 in St John's, Newfoundland.[5]
Unable to locate any Census or vital records that would help to identify the other three children said to be born to Robert and Susanna.
See also:
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Featured National Park champion connections: Robert is 21 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 23 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 22 degrees from George Catlin, 23 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 28 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 22 degrees from George Grinnell, 30 degrees from Anton Kröller, 24 degrees from Stephen Mather, 28 degrees from Kara McKean, 23 degrees from John Muir, 21 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 33 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.