Florence Robinson
Plot 9, Lot 6192
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto
In the summer and fall of 1918, the world suffered through the worst epidemic since the Back Death Pandemic of the mid-14th century. The Spanish influenza (which actually started in China, but got its name because 80 percent of the population of Spain was affected) was first diagnosed on this side of the Atlantic Ocean in Boston on August 27 of that year. South of the border, more that half-a-million died, including 19,000 in New York City. In Ontario, almost 300,000 were affected, with more than 8,700 dying from its effects. In Toronto 32-year-old Florence Robinson was typical of the hundreds that died locally. She passed away on October 24 and was buried three days later in Plot 8 where many influenza victims were interred. A quick look at the Mount Pleasant Interment book reveals that on October 25, 1918 a total of eleven victims of the dreaded Spanish influenza were buried in the cemetery on that day alone.
Mike Filey
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: An Illustrated Guide
Second Edition Revised and Expanded