Robert McBride
ID # 9076, (1812-1872)
| Birth | Robert McBride was born in 1812 at Ireland. |
| Marriage | He married Sophia Dale. |
| Death | He died on 30 August 1872 at Toronto, York Co., Ontario. |
| Burial | He was buried on 1 September 1872 at P144, Toronto Necropolis Cemetery. |
| Note | Robert McBride and his family were originally researched to relate them to the William McBride and went from Toronto to Galt between the 1871 and 1881 censuses. What follows refers more particularly to Robert and his wife Sophia and their family as they appear in such records as have been so far found. The early children of Robert and Sophia are recorded in census information as being born in Ireland. This includes at the least son Robert who was born in Ireland in approximately 1842. It probably also includes their first son John who was born in 1844 and died in Quebec City in 1846. We may record the births of some children as being in Quebec City until at least 1853. Their last two recorded children, Mary and Agnes, were born in Toronto. The Quebec City baptisms and burial thus far found are available via Ancestry, but the original source is the Drouin Collection. This has images of baptism, marriage, and burial pages for Chalmers Presbyterian Church at Quebec City. This appears to be fairly extensive and covers a number of early years. It is always possible that their first son John was baptized in Canada, elsewhere than Chalmers Presbyterian, but considering that shipping from Great Britain sailed directly to Quebec City, it is probably at Quebec that the family resided for at least a few years. It will be mentioned here that a book was published in 1885 entitled History of the Presbyterian Church in the Dominion of Canada, by William Gregg. This refers to a Rev. John Clugston who was active in the Presbyterian Church at Quebec until 1844 when he then returned to Scotland. We must believe this to be incorrect for John Clugston was actively baptising children in the Quebec church as late as 1847. When the McBride's daughter, Martha Jane, was baptized in 1849, the clergyman was William Rintoul. The names of Quebec Presbyterian clergy are reflected in baptism and burial information for the McBride's individual children. Robert and Sophia were located in Quebec City as of the 1851 census (begun in January of 1852). The 1861 census pages locates the family in St. Johns Ward, Toronto, and located on Terauley Street. (This may have been in the College and Bay Streets area. There is a Terauley Lane located there today.) Might's 1859 Toronto directory has them at 218 Terauley. The 1871 census has Robert and Sophia in West Toronto with daughters Sophia, 17, and Agnes, age 8. Robert died in 1872 and is buried in P-144, Toronto Necropolis Cemetery. Wife Sophia died in 1895 and is buried there with him. Son Samuel died in 1882 and is buried there as well. No death registration for Robert has been found. The Toronto Necropolis burial book, however, does tell that he died in Toronto. (A caution here. The clerk entering the place of death on the 'where died' columns would place Toronto at the top of the page and then, almost forever after, dittos were entered. Robert indeed probably died in Toronto, but the burial pages of the Toronto Necropolis have the look of this not being 'sure fire'.) When did the McBrides come Canada from Ireland? Son Robert, born in approximately 1842 was, per census information, said to be born in Ireland. Son John, born in 1847, was born in Quebec. He, however, was the second son named John. The first son named John was born in 1844. No Quebec baptism information for him has been found. It's entirely possible that he was born in Canada, but, considering the family's association with the Presbyterian Church in Quebec City, and considering that the church does have records covering the year 1844, probably John number one was born in Ireland. The Quebec church buried John one in 1846, so it's reasonable to believe that the family came to Canada between 1844 and 1846. Robert and Sophia's eldest child, Eliza, appears with the family in Quebec in the 1851 census. To this point, she has been found in no other record. The 1851 census (begun in January of 1852) shows her to be age 17 as of her next birthday. This approximates her year of birth to 1835, but no record for her, past the 1851 census, has been found. We may simply say that she is not residing with the family as of the 1861 census in Toronto. |
Children of Robert McBride and Sophia Dale |
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| Last Edited | 19 Apr 2022 |