Son of William Pittman Lett [1819–1892] of County Wexford, Ireland, and Maria Hinton [ca. 1828–1881] of Carleton, Upper Canada. In 1912 R. C. W. Lett married Helena Sarah DeCourcy Topley, daughter of photographer William James Topley [1845–1930] of Ottawa, who travelled with the 1914 Arthur Conan Dolye trip to Jasper[1].

Lett appears on numerous occasions.

1910

I was one of a party of six which set out from the western fringe of civilisation in Alberta to make the “North-West Passage” by land, threading 1,200 miles of wonderful, practically unknown country-the interior of New Caledonia, or, as it is now officially called, New British Columbia. The party consisted of Harry R. Charlton, Montreal; Robert C. W. Lett, Winnipeg; H. D. Lowry, Washington, U.S.A.; G. Horne Russell, Montreal; a photographer, and myself. The first and third left the party at Tête Jaune Cache to return. The object of my investigations was to form some notion of the economic and scenic value of the country traversed.

p. vii

———–

Frederick Arthur Ambrose Talbot [1880–1924]

The new garden of Canada. By pack-horse and canoe through undeveloped new British Columbia. London: Cassell, 1911
115

Lett appears on numerous occasions.

Making Good in Canada by Frederick Arthur Ambrose Talbot [1880–1924]. London: Adam and Charles Black, 1912
562
[2]

Chapter 9, “The game and fire wardens, and Chapter 14, “Prospecting for minerals,” contain extended accounts of Lett’s activities in theses realms.

One of the members of our party on this occasion, Mr. Robert C. W. Lett, a few years before had thrown in his lot with these lonely patrollers, for the purposes of restoring his health. The scene of his activity was in Algonquin Park, some way up in the Highlands of Ontario, and he painted me some very powerful pictures of the life of this official under all varying conditions.

p. 122

A graphic and intimate impression of the adventurous life of the mineral prospector was conveyed to me one night round the blazing camp fire, by my companion on the trail, Robert C. W. Lett. When he broke away from the lonely calling of game-warden in Algonquin Park, he embarked upon a prospecting expedition. Two experienced companions joined him in this pursuit of fortune, the projected field for their labours being one of the innermost recesses of Ontario, which has since gained fame as the Gowganda country.

p. 185

Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The Canadian Rockies. Yellowhead Pass Route. Winnipeg: Issued by the General Passenger Department, G.T.P. Railway, 1913
165

Travelling Passenger and Colonization Agent for G.T.P., Winnipeg

In 1914, R.C.W. held a prominent position with the Grand Trunk Railway and persuaded his father-in-law, the noted Ottawa photographer William James Topley, to photograph Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on his rail trip through Western Canada in June of that year.