Robert Garnett Tatlow (September 6, 1855 – April 11, 1910) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

-born businessman and political figure in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. He represented Vancouver City in the

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the deliberative assembly of the Parliament of British Columbia, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Legislative Assembly meets in Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria. Members ar ...

from 1900 to 1909 as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

. He was born in

Scarva Scarva ( meaning "shallow place, rough ford") is a small village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is at the boundary with County Armagh, which is marked by the Newry Canal. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 320. Scarva i ...

, the son of John Garnett Tatlow and Anne Matthews, and was educated in

Cheltenham Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...

. After completing his schooling, Tatlow came to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

where he was hired by the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company and later a brokerage office. He joined the militia and came to

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in 1879 to inspect the coastal defences there. Tatlow remained there as instructor to the local militia and custodian for artillery supplies. The following year, he was hired as private secretary to the lieutenant governor,

Albert Norton Richards Albert Norton Richards, (December 8, 1821 – March 6, 1897) was a Canadian lawyer and political figure. He represented Leeds South in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal member from 1872 to 1874. He served as the second Lieutenant ...

. He continued in the same function for Richards' successor,

Clement Francis Cornwall Clement Francis Cornwall (June 18, 1836 – February 15, 1910) was a Canadian parliamentarian and the third Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Cornwall was born at Ashcroft House, in Newington Bagpath, near Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucester ...

. Tatlow resigned that post in 1886 and moved to

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

where he was a real estate, insurance and mining broker. He was a member of the city's park committee from 1888 to 1905 and served as chairman from 1895 to 1903. In 1893, he married Elizabeth Mary Cambie. Tatlow ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the provincial assembly in 1890 and 1894 before being elected in 1900. He introduced a private member's bill requiring all immigrants to be able to write in a European language. Tatlow served in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Finance and Agriculture and as Commissioner of Lands and Works. He also served as deputy premier. He resigned his seat in October 1909 after

Richard McBride Sir Richard McBride, (December 15, 1870 – August 6, 1917) was a British Columbia politician and is often considered the founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 e ...

proposed guarantees to help finance the construction of the

Canadian Northern Railway The Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) was a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its 1923 merger into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. Mani ...

. Tatlow died in Victoria at the age of 54 after being ejected from his

carriage A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping an ...

Mount Tatlow Tŝ’ilʔoŝ, also known as Mount Tatlow, is one of the principal summits of the Chilcotin Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of southern British Columbia. Standing on an isolated ridge between the lower end of Chi ...

was named in his honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tatlow, Robert G 1855 births 1910 deaths British Columbia Conservative Party MLAs People from County Down Road incident deaths in Canada Accidental deaths in British Columbia