Hi Bill, Not sure if you have this information from the Times Colonist Victoria BC, so thought I would pass it on to you re Dunsmuir/Bryden Best regards, Linda _____________ Died at James Bay, Victoria, British Columbia, Apr 12, 1889, The Hon Robert Dunsmuir, native of Hurlford, Ayrshire, Scotland, aged 64. Deceased was born in 1825, his grandfather and father having been coal masters in that section. He was educated at Kilmarnock Academy. In 1847 he married Joanna, Daughter of Alexander White, and came to Vancouver Island for the purpose of opening up the Fort Rupert coal lands for the Hudson's Bay Company....PC, 4; Apr 14, 1. Funeral from the family residence, Menzie st. Pallbearers: Apr 17, 4. H 66/67 E/W 27/28 [Colonist, 1889-04-11*] Died Mar 27, 1915 at Esquimalt, British Columbia, John Cowper Bryden, native of Ayrshire, Scotland, aged 84. He came to Vancouver Island in 1863 as mgr for the Vancouver Island Coal Co at Nanaimo. Four years later he married Elizabeth Hamilton Dunsmuir, and became associated with his father in law as mgr of the Wellington coal mines, where he resided for 25 years, when he removed to his late home on Head Street, Esquimalt. Mrs Bryden died there in Jun, 1901, leaving 2 sons, Robert D and John D, and 1 daughter, Olive, wife of Captain A D Macdonald, of Royal Artillery, now serving in an instruction and training camp in England. photo Mar 28, 1. Pallbearers: Messrs W E Scott, R W Pooley, MPP, Frank O'Reilly, R Swinerton, W E Oliver, Gavin H Burns. Honorary pallbearers: His Honor Lt-Gov, Colonel the Hon E G Prior, Hon Edgar Dewdney, Hon D M Eberts, Messrs J A Mara, Frank Little, Fitzherbert Bullen, P R Brown, Lindley Crease, Richard Jones. Mar 30 - letter to editor by E G Prior - May I, as one who has known late John Bryden intimately for very many years, be allowed space to say a few words in regard to him. It is now a little over 41 years since I 1st saw John Bryden, when he met me early one winter morning as I landed in Nanaimo, a young man straight out from England, to take up my position of mining engineer and surveyor under him, he then being joint manager of Nanaimo Collieries with Mark Bate. Well do I remember my 1st impressions of him as he cordially welcomed me. Standing well over 6', straight as an arrow, with magnificent chest and shoulders, hair and closely cropped beard as black as a raven, and with eyes of piercing brightness but kindly withal, I thought here indeed is, and he was, a born leader of strong men. For 5 years and more I was with him every day underground in the mines and around the works, and the longer I knew him the more I came to see what a splendid character he was. Utterly fearless where duty called, he never asked a man to go where he would not himself lead, and no one who has not lived underground in a colliery can have an conception of the daily risks to life and limb that such a life entails. He was an efficient, just and kind manager and held the respect and esteem of every man working under him... From the day I left Nanaimo, and he went to manage the Wellington Collieries for his f-i-l, Hon Robert Dunsmuir, to the day of his death it was my privilege to be counted as one of his friends, and I always found that advancing years only mellowed his good qualitites... U 038 E E [Colonist, 1915-03-26*] _____________________________________________ I have a relative John Bryden who married Elizabeth Hamilton Dunsmuir in 1866, Ayrshire. Her father was Robert Dunsmuir who went to Vancouver Island with the HBC as a coal miner. During his life in BC he build Craigdarroch in Victoria and became one of the richest men in BC.