Lieutenant Colonel R. B. Hamilton, VD was born in Toronto on 10 October 1848, the son of Sidney Smith Hamilton and Ann Coulthard.

On 30 April 1878, he married Mary Kate Pellatt whose brother would later be known as Major General Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. They had one daughter Beatrice Maud who would marry the author Stephen Leacock.

Hamilton died on 8 April 1928 at the age of 80 at the Toronto Hospital For Consumptives and is buried in Necropolis Cemetery, Toronto.

A grave maker was added to his grave in 2023 by the Last Post Fund.

Service Record

• by 1867 – Rifleman in No. 5 Company, Queen’s Own Rifles
• 1868 – Lance Corporal
• 1869 – Corporal
• 1870 – Colour Sergeant
• 4 August 1871 – Appointed Ensign
• 31 May 1872 – Promoted Lieutenant
• 1875 – On service during Pilgrimage Riots
• 28 January 1876 – Promoted Captain
• 1877 – On service during the Belleville Riots
• 29 Feb 1884 – Promoted Major
• 30 Aug 1889 – Promoted Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Commanding Officer
• 26 Mar 1896 – Relinquished command
• 8 July 1897 – Transferred to Reserve of Infantry Officers
• Awarded Volunteer Decoration (VD)