1824–1908

Introduction

Born: March 7, 1824, Chelms­ford, Es­sex, Eng­land.

Died: March 31, 1908, Ha­mil­ton, On­tar­io, Ca­na­da.

Buried: Ha­mil­ton Ce­me­te­ry, Ha­mil­ton, On­tar­io.

portrait

Biography

Robert was the son of Charles Am­brose and So­phia Stone­ham, and hus­band of Eli­za­beth (Li­ly) Boyle (mar­ried Ju­ly 28, 1863). His fa­ther was the or­gan­ist at Chelms­ford Ca­thed­ral.

His fa­mi­ly emi­grat­ed to Ca­na­da in 1837, but when they moved to Ha­mil­ton in 1845, Ro­bert stayed be­hind on the farm in Guelph. Two years lat­er, though, he joined his bro­ther Charles Jr., a mu­sic teach­er in Kings­ton.

Robert went on to be­come or­gan­ist and choir­mas­ter at St. George’s Church, and at Church of the As­cen­sion in Ha­mil­ton, and taught at the Wes­ley­an La­dies Col­lege in Ha­mil­ton.

He com­posed some 80 songs, 14 part-songs and 25 in­stru­ment­al piec­es.

Sources

Music