Biographies of some Haldimand Folk.
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ROBERT
WALBROOK
Was born in the city of Quebec in 1817. His parents were Irish, being natives
of the city of Dublin. His youth and a portion of his manhood was spent in the
township of Trafalgar, in the County of Halton. In 1852 he made the overland
trip to California, which occupied four months. He remained in California until
1855, when 6e returned to Canada and bought a farm in Walpole, there being at
that time very little improvement in the north part of the township. Mr. Walbrook
bought part of 'a bush lot and in the course of a few years cleared it up and
brought it under cultivation. This may sound very commonplace, and may appear
to be an achieve¬ment scarcely worthy of mention or of public interest.
Canada was once a vast and unbroken wilderness, and its present condition of
fertility and productiveness has not been produced by spasmodic effort or by
the brilliant ideas of the author or the statesman. 1 t is to patient, untiring
industry, and the unwavering determination of men who like Mr. Walbrook, have
foot by foot and acre after acre subdued the primeval forests, and replaced
the unsightly slashing with fields of grain or meadow. In fact it has been the
homely and unromantic occupation of chopping and logging that has made Walpole
one of the richest and most productive agricultural townships in the Dominion
of Canada.
Mr. Walbrook now owns a fine farm, and is in comfortable cir¬cumstances,
the result of industry and frugality. In 1861 and the three following years
he was Reeve of Walpole, as also in 1876 and 1878, and in 1864 was elected Warden
of Haldimand. In 1875, at the urgent request of his political friends, but contrary
to his own wishes, he contested the county in the Conservative interest as a
candidate for a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, but was unsuccesful.
Mr. Walbrook's practical good sense and discrimin¬ating ,judgment have made
him a useful municipal officer, while his genial manners and obliging disposition
have secured him a large number of warm personal friends.
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© Joan Hapeman Somers 24 Nov 1998
Joe Wilson 2000