Melrose and his wife Ellen were among the original group to come out from Scotland with McKenzie arriving at Ft. Victoria on the Norman Morison Jan. 16, 1853. At the age of 25, a resident of Haddington county, he had contracted to work for the Puget Sound Agricultural Company for a period of five years commencing May 24, 1852.¹ Whereas many of the Englishmen recruited by Archibald Barclay for the HBC were illiterate farm labourers, those chosen by McKenzie were generally literate and Melrose, although employed as a labourer, appears to have had more education than most of his fellows. It is his diary, the original of which is now in PABC, which provides extensive insight to the life at Craigflower during the early period of settlement. Moreover it is not confined to Craigflower but provides information regarding the people and events at the fort. The original manuscript is elaborately decorated and reveals Melrose's fascination with astronomical data, ecclesiastical and historical anniversaries and pedantic verse. Melrose's talent was later used by McKenzie for the Craigflower accounts:

Ironically, although Melrose was busy recording the births, marriages and arguments of others in his diary, he reveals little of his own life apart from his frequent bouts of drunkenness. However, it appears that he was one of the stalwarts of the Craigflower group - not rebellious - but generally contributing to community life. In his first year of residence at Craigflower he enthusiastically noted details:

In the spring of 1854, Melrose contributed to the lecture series given for the Craigflower community. His topics included the following:

That year Melrose's only child, Ellen (Nellie) was born May 19, 1854 and baptized by Rev. Holmes, chaplain of the HMS President.³ Melrose chose to ignore his daughter's birth in his diary. Ellen's name appears in the list of pupils who obtained prizes following the fifth public examination at Craigflower in 1860.

... for general excellence:

First class, Dorothea Mackenzie; second class, William Makenzie, Robert Anderson, Mary Lemon; third class, Mary Liddle; fourth class, Ellen Melrose.⁴

and again in Claypole's list for 1863-64 -"winner of His Excellency's second prize."

During the 1850's Melrose's name appears in McKenzie's daybooks for receiving the allotted rations and sundry items:

and for wages for labour:

Melrose's name is not listed in land sales for that period. Possibly he stayed on at the farm. His residence was later listed as Gorge Road. In 1883 Mrs. Melrose died; the obituary was inadvertently amusing:

Nellie was married to Frederick Douglas in 1883 and later resided at Vancouver Street, mother of six children.

In 1898, Robert Melrose died at the age of seventy:

Robert Melrose, a native of Scotland aged 71 years died yesterday at the Jubilee Hosp. where he had been for a long time a patient. He was one of the original pioneers of the province and for many years resided at the head of Victoria Arm. The funeral takes place from the hospital today.⁶

1 Puget Sound Agricultural Company Agreements with Employees 1850-52.

2 McKenzie, Daybook, May 21, 1855, A/E/M19/M19.2.

3 Baptismal Register, Ft. Victoria 1851-58. This baptism is listed under the name of Hamilton: "Ellen, daughter of Robert Melrose and Ellen."

4 Colonist, Aug. 2, 1860, p. 3.

5 Colonist, May 15, 1883, p. 3.

6 Ibid., July 30, 1898, p. 5.

Robert Melrose (1828-98) and Ellen (d. 1883)

- married Frederick Douglas 1883

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