Captain Robert Mann Parsons was made a second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in
1847, a lieutenant in 1850, a second captain in 1856, and a captain in 1862. He was
given charge of the first group of the Columbia detachment, in part because of his
expert surveying abilities; he also ran
British Columbia's lithographic press from 1861 to 1863. Parsons was promoted to major in 1872 and
lieutenant-colonel in 1873, colonel in 1878, and major-general in 1879.
See Frances M. Woodward, The Influence of the Royal Engineers on the Development of British Columbia, BC Studies 24 (Winter 1974-75): 3-51. BCDES 36.3.