He came to Fort Garry as an apprentice clerk for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1857.
At the age of 15 Robert moved to London to work as an apprentice clerk in the legal profession.
He then went to New York City as an apprentice clerk in the counting house of McCrea and Slidell.
For my part I have to admit the idea of an attic room, a bowl of soup and an apprentice clerk's salary holds no great attraction.
The yeoman felt distinctly out of place and spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon being passed from one apprentice clerk to another.
He joined the Hudson's Bay Company as a 14 year old apprentice clerk and set sail for Canada.
As an apprentice clerk he helped Chief Factor James Douglas* in 1850 to negotiate the Fort Victoria treaties with the neighbouring Indians.
His career began as an apprentice clerk for various local businesses at age 14.
Instead, he began his career as apprentice clerk for a maritime trade merchant, Whittlesley & Alsop, in Middletown.
He joined the Hudson's Bay Company in 1833 as an apprentice clerk in the company's Western Department.