Robert Watt Lendrum was the fourth
child of William Lendrum, DLS and CE, and his wife, Mary Watt. He
was born in Fermanagh, Ireland, on the 24th July, 1834, and died the
27th February,
1912,
and was buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Edmonton, Alberta. He was
an Anglican.
On November 24th, 1866, he married Ella Brock, at Hawkesbury, Ontario. She
was born October 22nd, 1849, at Hawkesbury, and died July 25th,
1911,
and was buried beside her husband.
Robert Watt left Ireland with his family in 1849, and came to (By-Town)
Ottawa. He worked with his father, who was a civil engineer on the Brockville and
Prescott railway, and also on the Rideau Canal.
Later he taught school, but had to go to Vankleek Hill to write to
receive his certificate to teach school in Ontario. He taught for a
while, then became articled to Robert Hamilton, and was appointed a Land
Surveyor on the 8th January, 1874. He also kept a store at Vankleek
Hill, and operated the telegraph station.
In 1880, he received his DLS and went to Fort Garry (now Winnipeg),
where he did considerable survey work. From 1882 to 1893, he practiced
surveying in Ontario.
In 1891 he went to Edmonton and, in 1892, he moved his family there, and
engaged at farming, as there was little surveying.
About 1896 he left the farm, and engaged at government survey work, and
extensive surveys around Edmonton. He was still working at his
profession when he met with an accident, slipping on a sidewalk and
causing a fractured hip, from which he died shortly afterwards, in
1912.
Source: Association of Ontario Land Surveyors
