Robert Tomlinson
Encyclopedia
Robert Tomlinson was an Irish medical missionary for the Church of England
, known for his work with the indigenous peoples
of British Columbia
.
Robert Tomlinson was born in 1842 in Ireland. He defied his Catholic parents by converting to the Church of England, prompting his father Thomas Tomlinson to disinherit him. He graduated from Trinity College
in Dublin, worked as a livery hand to finance his medical training at Adelaide Hospital
, and was ordained by the Church of England. His parish was St. James Anglican Church in Dublin.
In 1867 he moved to British Columbia as a medical missionary. That same year he met his future wife, Alice Woods, who was also from Ireland, in Victoria, B.C.
.
He served under the Church Missionary Society's Anglican lay minister in charge of the region, William Duncan
, who was based at the Tsimshian
community he founded, Metlakatla
. Despite initial rockiness, Duncan and Tomlinson shared ideals, and Tomlinson supported some of Duncan's controversial catechistic innovations, such as omitting the rite of Holy Communion so as not to stir nascent cannibalistic impulses in his flock.
Tomlinson's first serious duty was to re-establish Rev. Robert A. Doolan's three-year-old Anglican mission among the Nisga'a
people by relocating it from the lower Nass River to a newly established community, Kincolith (today known as Gingolx
), at the mouth of the Nass River
. This became a successful mission on the Metlakatla model. In 1883 he was joined there by the Rev. William Henry Collison
.
In 1887, Tomlinson vacillated as to whether he ought to join Duncan in his move with about 800 Tsimshians to form an independent (non-Anglican) mission at "New" Metlakatla, Alaska
. Instead, the Tomlinsons joined their fellow missionary A. E. Price in resigning the CMS and moving to the Gitksan village of Kitwanga
well up the Skeena River
from Metlakatla. In 1888 they formed a new non-sectarian Christian Gitksan village nearby which they called Meanskinisht (a.k.a. Cedarvale
).
In 1908 Tomlinson and his son Robert Tomlinson Jr. moved to Metlakatla, Alaska, to assist Duncan but the elder Tomlinson was upset to find what others too were finding at fault in how Duncan ran the community: that too much economic and political power was in Duncan's own hands and that educating the Tsimshians to be independent citizens was not a priority. Tomlinson left to return to Meanskinisht in 1912.
Tomlinson died the following year at Meanskinisht, of hardening of the arteries, at 71 years of age.
His son Robert Tomlinson Jr.'s extensive memoirs, recorded by his wife Roxie Irene Tomlinson onto reel-to-reel tape, were later organized by their own son George Tomlinson (Robert Sr.'s grandson) into a fiction-style narrative of his life and work, written from Robert Jr.'s first-person perspective.
and other similarly named features in that area are named for Tomlinson's wife, Alice Mary Tomlinson.
Robert Tomlinson's father was Rev. Thomas Tomlinson who was the Church of Ireland (Anglican) Rector of the St. James' Parish in Dublin, Ireland.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, known for his work with the indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast
The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those historical peoples. They are now situated within the Canadian Province of British Columbia and the U.S...
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Robert Tomlinson was born in 1842 in Ireland. He defied his Catholic parents by converting to the Church of England, prompting his father Thomas Tomlinson to disinherit him. He graduated from Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in Dublin, worked as a livery hand to finance his medical training at Adelaide Hospital
Adelaide Hospital
The Adelaide Hospital was a general and teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland until it became part of the new Tallaght Hospital in 1998.-History:...
, and was ordained by the Church of England. His parish was St. James Anglican Church in Dublin.
In 1867 he moved to British Columbia as a medical missionary. That same year he met his future wife, Alice Woods, who was also from Ireland, in Victoria, B.C.
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
.
He served under the Church Missionary Society's Anglican lay minister in charge of the region, William Duncan
William Duncan (missionary)
William Duncan was an English-born Anglican missionary who founded the Tsimshian communities of Metlakatla, British Columbia, in Canada, and Metlakatla, Alaska, in the United States...
, who was based at the Tsimshian
Tsimshian
The Tsimshian are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Tsimshian translates to Inside the Skeena River. Their communities are in British Columbia and Alaska, around Terrace and Prince Rupert and the southernmost corner of Alaska on Annette Island. There are approximately 10,000...
community he founded, Metlakatla
Metlakatla, British Columbia
Metlakatla, British Columbia, is a small community that is one of the seven Tsimshian village communities in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated at Metlakatla Pass near Prince Rupert, British Columbia...
. Despite initial rockiness, Duncan and Tomlinson shared ideals, and Tomlinson supported some of Duncan's controversial catechistic innovations, such as omitting the rite of Holy Communion so as not to stir nascent cannibalistic impulses in his flock.
Tomlinson's first serious duty was to re-establish Rev. Robert A. Doolan's three-year-old Anglican mission among the Nisga'a
Nisga'a
The Nisga’a , often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga’a language as Nisga’a, are an Indigenous nation or First Nation in Canada. They live in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. Their name comes from a combination of two Nisga’a words: Nisk’-"top lip" and...
people by relocating it from the lower Nass River to a newly established community, Kincolith (today known as Gingolx
Gingolx
Gingolx is a Nisga'a Village in the Nass River valley in British Columbia, Canada. The village population is approximately 341 people. Gingolx is one of four Nisga'a villages that make up the Nisga'a Nation. The community itself has four clans which are Killer Whale, Eagle, Raven and Wolf...
), at the mouth of the Nass River
Nass River
The Nass River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows from the Coast Mountains southwest to Nass Bay, a sidewater of Portland Inlet, which connects to the North Pacific Ocean via the Dixon Entrance...
. This became a successful mission on the Metlakatla model. In 1883 he was joined there by the Rev. William Henry Collison
William Henry Collison
William Henry Collison , also known as W. H. Collison, was an Anglican missionary among First Nations people in coastal British Columbia, Canada....
.
In 1887, Tomlinson vacillated as to whether he ought to join Duncan in his move with about 800 Tsimshians to form an independent (non-Anglican) mission at "New" Metlakatla, Alaska
Metlakatla, Alaska
Metlakatla is a census-designated place on Annette Island in Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,375.- History :...
. Instead, the Tomlinsons joined their fellow missionary A. E. Price in resigning the CMS and moving to the Gitksan village of Kitwanga
Kitwanga, British Columbia
Kitwanga or Gitwangax is located where the Kitwanga River runs into the Skeena River in British Columbia. A long-standing village before Contact, the village is within Gitwangak Indian Reserve No...
well up the Skeena River
Skeena River
The Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
from Metlakatla. In 1888 they formed a new non-sectarian Christian Gitksan village nearby which they called Meanskinisht (a.k.a. Cedarvale
Cedarvale, British Columbia
Cedarvale, also known as Minskinish, is an unincorporated community in the Skeena River valley of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Located originally on the west side of the Skeena as a railway station of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and nearby post office, in 1910, Cedarvale is now on...
).
In 1908 Tomlinson and his son Robert Tomlinson Jr. moved to Metlakatla, Alaska, to assist Duncan but the elder Tomlinson was upset to find what others too were finding at fault in how Duncan ran the community: that too much economic and political power was in Duncan's own hands and that educating the Tsimshians to be independent citizens was not a priority. Tomlinson left to return to Meanskinisht in 1912.
Tomlinson died the following year at Meanskinisht, of hardening of the arteries, at 71 years of age.
His son Robert Tomlinson Jr.'s extensive memoirs, recorded by his wife Roxie Irene Tomlinson onto reel-to-reel tape, were later organized by their own son George Tomlinson (Robert Sr.'s grandson) into a fiction-style narrative of his life and work, written from Robert Jr.'s first-person perspective.
Legacy
Alice ArmAlice Arm
Alice Arm is the east arm of Observatory Inlet, which itself is an arm of Portland Inlet, on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, near the border with the American state of Alaska...
and other similarly named features in that area are named for Tomlinson's wife, Alice Mary Tomlinson.
Robert Tomlinson's father was Rev. Thomas Tomlinson who was the Church of Ireland (Anglican) Rector of the St. James' Parish in Dublin, Ireland.