Captain Robert Mann Parsons was born on 29 September 1829. Parsons was educated at
the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, and inevitably became a member of the Royal
Engineers. He 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. Not much is
known about Parsons after his reitrement on 29 October 1879, but seemingly he remained
in retirement until his death, as a bachelor, on 20 May 1897 at Greenwich.