ROBERT JOHN MAIN  by Mrs. Andrew Stewart (Sheila Rannie) 1967

     On Primrose Day, April 18, 1903, Robert Main, at the age of 18, left Edinburgh for Canada with a letter of introduction to a lawyer.   He embarked at Glasgow on the Sermetian (an Allen Liner) and arrived on May 1st after a rough voyage, docking at Montreal.  Their progress had been slow because of icebergs and the cold high winds had kept most of the passengers below decks. 

     McDonald, McMillen and Co. were building the railroad from Roblin to Grandview.  Supplies and material had to be freighted from Russell.   This was the employment Bob Main was sent to do, but did not stay long at it.  

    One of the farmers whom he worked for was D.T. Wilson who had beautiful horses.  He kept them for show, believed to be the finest in Manitoba, and were treated as such.  They were never allowed to run.  When he left Wilson's Bob walked from Asessippi to the Londonderry School.  The first human voices he heard were the children singing "The Red, White and Blue".  At this time some of the pupils were Matt Simms, the Roberts girls (one of them now Mrs. Pratt See also Kinnaird) and the teacher was Mary Kelso.

    The farmers elevator - before the Grain Growers - was the first to have a dump scale.  T.A. Crerar was the buyer and Everett and Lawrence Boulton were the first to deliver grain loose in the box.  Bob and Bonnycastle helped in this work.

    The First Canadian Mounted Regiment organized in Brandon.    In the fall of 1914 they called for twelve men to make up the regiment and this was the chance Bob had been waiting for.  Bedwell, Miller and Gabrielson from Spy were others that went at the same time, Joe Willis and Scotty Mann, from Binscarth, and Robert Robertson, who had come out on the same boat.  They trained in the arena, sleeping on their mattresses laid on the seats of the arena, and finally left for the homeland.

     In 1919 Bob returned to Canada for his discharge as in England one had to have a job to go to, and he did not want to work in a library, which was the only trade he knew.  He worked for Sandy Stewart for a time, then in 1920 his father, Andrew Grey Main, his two sisters and brothers-in-law and family came out to live for a while.

    In 1934 he married Mabel Sesharko and they lived in the Blackstone district until they moved into the town of Grandview.  They have three children.  Terry married Andrea Veitch of Prince Rupert, B.C. in 1960 and has three daughters.  He is at present in Germany, serving with the Canadian Army.  Robert who married Shirley Doak, in 1959, has two daughters.  He also served with the Canadian peace time army in Germany, but received his discharge shortly after returning to Canada.  He is now with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

   Barbara Ruth is completing grade twelve in Grandview and intends to train for a nurse.

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