Dictionary o f Canadian Biography Online Page 1

of 2
? _ ?

Home > Browse by Identification

I t e m Display
R e t u r n to r e s u l t s |
Search

4921-1930 (Volume X V )

M c A R T H U R , PETER G I L C H R I S T , w r i t e r a n d f a r m e r ; b. 10 March 1 8 6 6 in Ekfrid T o w n s h i p , U p p e r C a n a d a , s o n o f

Peter M c A r t h u r and Catherine McLennan; m. 1 1 S e p t . 1 8 9 5 M a b e l C l a r a H a y w o o d - W a t e r s in N i a g a r a ( N i a g a r a - o n -

w e ake), O n t . , a n d t h e y h a d f o u r s o n s a n d a d a u g h t e r ; d . 2 8 O c t . 1 9 2 4 in L o n d o n , O n t . , a n d w a s b u r i e d i n

R a i s e d o n a f a r m b y S c o t t i s h - b o r n P r e s b y t e r i a n p a r e n t s , Peter M c A r t h u r w o u l d b e c o m ea l i f e l o n g s p o k e s m a n
f o r t h e v a l u e s h e b e l i e v e d w e r e i m p l i c i t in a pioneer?s w a y o f life. U p o n g r a d u a t i n g f r o m t h e c o l l e g i a t e in n e a r b y
S t r a t h r o y i n 1 8 8 7 , he a t t e n d e d t h e m o d e l schoo! t h e r e a n d t a u g h t b r i e f l y . T h e f o l l o w i n g y e a r h e e n t e r e d t h e
U n i v e r s i t y o f T o r o n t o , w h e r e his c h a r a c t e r a n d d e t e r m i n a t i o n to r e s i s t h a z i n g i m p r e s s e d P r e s i d e n t S i r D a n i e l
W i l s o n ® . His a m b i t i o n w a s t o be a w r i t e r , h e n c e he s u b m i t t e d j o k e s t o J o h n W i l s o n BENGOUGH?s G r i p a n d i n 1 8 8 9
l e f t u n i v e r s i t y t o b e a r e p o r t e r w i t h t h e T o r o n t o Daily Mail.

M c A r t h u r m o v e d t o N e w York City in 1890 t o hone his craft freelance. H e quickly fitted in w i t h t h e Canadian
e x p a t r i a t e artistic c o m m u n i t y there, which included poets Charles G e o r g e D o u g l a s R o b e r t s * a n d W i l l i a m Bliss
CARMAN, p o e t - a r t i s t D u n c a n A . M c K e l l a r , a n d J a y H a m b i d g e , a n i l l u s t r a t o r w h o s t u d i e d p r o p o r t i o n i n a r t a n d
m a t h e m a t i c a l f o r m u l a e in n a t u r e . H e r e f e r r e d t o t h e g r o u p a s ? t h e c o m m u n e . ? T w o o f t h e m , C a r m a n a n d p r i n t e r
C a l v e r t B o w y e r V a u x , w o u l d c o r r e s p o n d w i t h M c A r t h u r t h r o u g h o u t h i s l i f e , a n d in 1 9 2 1 M c A r t h u r w o u l d o r g a n i z e
Carman?s C a n a d i a n reading tour. Besides contributing articles, poems, a n d h u m o r o u s i t e m s t o s u c h publications
as Life, Puck, a n d Atlantic Monthly, McArthur, as editor o f t h e New York Truth f r o m 1895 t o 1897, p u b l i s h e d w o r k
b y R o b e r t s , C a r m a n , S t e p h e n B u t t e r L e a c o c k * , a n d D u n c a n C a m p b e l l S c o t t * . I t w a s w h i l e h e w a s l i v i n g in
B r o o k l y n i n 1 8 9 5 t h a t h e m a r r i e d M a b e l H a y w o o d - W a t e r s , a t S t Mark?s A n g l i c a n C h u r c h i n N i a g a r a .

_ I n 1 9 0 2 M c A r t h u r w e n t t o L o n d o n , E n g l a n d , w i t h his f a m i l y t o e d i t a m a g a z i n e t h a t w o u l d e x p r e s s H a m b i d g e ? s
? g e s t h e t i c s o f d y n a m i c s y m m e t r y . ? I t did n o t m a t e r i a l i z e so he t u r n e d t o o t h e r p r o j e c t s t h e r e : c o n t r i b u t i n g t o
? P u n c h , w o r k i n g w i t h W i l l i a m T h o m a s S t e a d o n t h e R e v i e w o f R e v i e w s a n d t h e Daily Paper, a n d w r i t i n g To b e t a k e n
w i t h s a l t : b e i n g an e s s a y on t e a c h i n g one?s g r a n d m o t h e r to suck e g g s ( 1 9 0 3 ) , a s a t i r e t h a t r e f l e c t s a colonial?s
v i e w o f i m p e r i a l s o c i e t y . I n 1 9 0 4 t h e M c A r t h u r s c a m e b a c k t o New Y o r k , w h e r e Peter, a s a p a r t n e r i n a n
advertising agency, w r o t e short fictional works t h a t conclude with product endorsements, and, as a freelance
w r i t e r , p r o d u c e d T h e p r o d i g a l , a n d o t h e r p o e m s ( 1 9 0 7 ) , i n w h i c h s e v e r a l i t e m s a n t i c i p a t e a r e t u r n t o r u r a l life.
S h o r t l y t h e r e a f t e r h e l e f t t h e u n c e r t a i n t i e s o f b u s i n e s s , m o v e d t o Niagara, a n d i n 1 9 0 8 t o o k his f a m i l y t o E k f r i d ,
w h e r e his f a t h e r h a d l e f t h i m tand. He w o u l d l i v e t h e r e f o r t h e r e s t o f his l i f e , c a r r y i n g on a s m a l l m i x e d - f a r m i n g
operation, n o t f o r w e a l t h b u t f o r physical well-being and spiritual n o u r i s h m e n t (in a d d i t i o n t o t h a t g a i n e d as a
m e m b e r o f S t John?s A n g l i c a n C h u r c h ) . His e n t e r p r i s e , s i m i l a r t o t h e o n e i n H e n r y David T h o r e a u ? s W a l d e n ,
a l l o w e d h i m t o r e l i s h a n d d e s c r i b e t h e n a t u r a l w o r l d a n d r u r a l a c t i v i t y , a n d to i n t e r p r e t t h e m i n a p h i l o s o p h i c a l
s p i r i t . His p e r s i s t e n t f o c u s o n t h e c o m m o n m a n e m e r g e d easily f r o m his s p i r i t u a l a n a l y s i s o f n a t u r e . I n o n e
u n p u b l i s h e d e s s a y , w h i c h c h a l l e n g e d R i c h a r d M a u r i c e Bucke*?s c h a m p i o n s h i p o f W a l t W h i t m a n ? s p r i m a c y a s a
c o s m i c t h i n k e r , M c A r t h u r h e l d t h a t c o s m i c c o n s c i o u s n e s s ?is p o s s e s s e d b y m e n o f all d e s c r i p t i o n ? a n d t h a t
W h i t m a n ? s r e a l g l o r y lay i n his i n t e n t ?to help e v e r y m a n to d e v e l o p t h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f his o w n n a t u r e . ?

M c A r t h u r ? s p r e f e r r e d p l a c e f o r t h i n k i n g a n d w r i t i n g w a s a t e n t i n h i s w o o d l o t . F r o m 29 M a y 1 9 0 9 u n t i l his
d e a t h h e r e v e a l e d his m a n i f o l d i n t e r e s t s In a r t i c l e s f o r t h e T o r o n t o G i o b e , a n d b e t w e e n 1 9 1 0 a n d 1 9 1 7 he
c o n t r i b u t e d a s w e l l t o t h e Farmer?s A d v o c a t e a n d H o m e M a g a z i n e ( L o n d o n , O n t . ) . S e l e c t i o n s f r o m t h e s e s o u r c e s
w e r e p u b l i s h e d in T o r o n t o as I n p a s t u r e s g r e e n ( 1 9 1 5 ) a n d T h e r e d c o w a n d h e r f r i e n d s ( 1 9 1 9 ) . His r e p u t a t i o n
r e s t s m a i n l y on t h e s e e s s a y s , a n d o n o c c a s i o n a l p o e m s , b u t M c A r t h u r w a sa p r o l i f i c w r i t e r . B e t w e e n 1 9 1 0 a n d
1 9 1 2 h e published eight n u m b e r s o f Ourselves: a Magazine f o r Cheerful Canadians (St T h o m a s , O n t . ) , a largely
h u m o r o u s a n d s a t i r i c a l j o u r n a l t h a t i n c l u d e s c r i t i q u e s o f s o m e of his f a v o u r i t e t a r g e t s : big b u s i n e s s , t h e C a n a d i a n
b a n k i n g s y s t e m , p o l i t i c i a n s , a n d t h e s t a l e n e s s o f i m p e r i a l s o c i e t y . His p o e m s a n d s t o r i e s a l s o a p p e a r e d f r o m t i m e
t o t i m e in o t h e r C a n a d i a n a n d A m e r i c a n p e r i o d i c a l s a n d n e w s p a p e r s . I n 1 9 1 9 h e c o m p i l e d a e u l o g i s t i c a n d
anecdotal! b l o g r a p h y o f L i b e r a l p r i m e m i n i s t e r S i r W i l f r i d L a u r i e r * a n d i n 1 9 2 3 h e w o u l d u n d e r t a k e a s t u d y o f
S t e p h e n L e a c o c k f o r L o r n e A l b e r t Pierce*?s M a k e r s of C a n a d i a n l i t e r a t u r e s e r i e s . T h e a f f a b l e s t r a n g e r ( T o r o n t o ,
1 9 2 0 ) , a c o l l e c t i o n o f e s s a y s , is t h e p r o d u c t o f M c A r t h u r ' s o b s e r v a t i o n s d u r i n g t r a v e l s in C a n a d a a n d t h e
n o r t h e a s t e r n U n i t e d S t a t e s a f t e r W o r l d W a r I. T h r o u g h a s c e p t i c a l a n d c o n s e r v a t i v e fens, a n d w i t h r e p e a t e d
a s s e r t i o n o f t h e v a l i d i t y o f p i o n e e r v a l u e s , he e x a m i n e s c o n t e m p o r a r y e c o n o m y , o r g a n i z a t i o n s , social m o v e m e n t s ,
a n d d i f f e r e n c e s b e t w e e n t h e O l d a n d t h e New W o r l d . He also r e t u r n e d t o c o m m e r c e a s a t h e m e , w r i t i n g t r a c t s a n d
p o e m s on l i f e i n s u r a n c e a s a m e a n s t o r e f o r m s o c i e t y in t h e i n t e r e s t s o f t h e c o m m o n m a n . A c h a n t o f

http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr-783 1&&PHPSESSID=d1 i6r7rhd... 4/11/2009

 o f Canadian Biography Online Page 2 o f 2

Mammonism (Waterloo, Ont., [1922]), for example, i i pr:

mutual Ufe Insurance c e n c e ple, predicts the demise of the capitalist as the financial power of

M u c h o f M c A r t h u r ? s w o r k g i v e s e v i d e n c e o f haste, . t h e biogr: aphy o f L a u r i e r being a n o t a b l e e x a m p l e . H e n c e ,

he h a s b e e n c h a r g e d b y c r i t i c s w i t h c a r e l e s s n e s s a n d Uinevel ?
McArth * stylistic unevenness. F. W. Watt, in his examination of
u r a n d t h e ?agrarian m y t h , ? a s s e r t s t h a t his w o r k r a r e l y e m e r g e s f r o m ? j o u r n a l i s t i c d r o s s . ? To s o m e e x t e n t
t h e s e d e f e c t s m a y be f o r g i v e n in t h e l i g h t o f M c A r t h u r ' s o b s e r v a t i o n a b o u t L e a c o c k , t h a t t h e p r e s s u r e e x e r t e d b y
p u b l i s h e r s m a y h a v e l i m i t e d t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f his p o w e r s . I n McArthur?s c a s e , t h e d e m a n d s o f his f a r m a n d
s e m i - w e e k l y n e w s p a p e r c o l u m n s s t r a i n e d t h e q u a l i t y o f his p r o s e . A n y u n e v e n n e s s o r l a c k o f c o h e s i o n a l s o s t e m s
f r o m h i s u s e o f v a r i o u s s t y l e s a n d t o n e s , a n d t h e w i d e r a n g e o f his i n t e r e s t s : n a t u r a l h i s t o r y , f a r m i n g , t h e o s o p h y ,
d e p e r s o n a l i z a t i o n c a u s e d b y u r b a n life a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l d e v e l o p m e n t , t h e e v i l s o f big b u s i n e s s a n d p o l i t i c i a n s ,
and ?the o v e r - o r g a n i z a t i o n o f h u m a n i t y f o r profit,? especially during t h e war.

D e s p i t e t h i s d i v e r s i t y , t h e r e a r e u n i f y i n g t h e m e s in McArthur?s w o r k . He c o n s i s t e n t l y e s p o u s e d t h e idea o f a
N e w W o r l d d e m o c r a c y t h a t w a s e p i t o m i z e d i n t h e c o o p e r a t i v e i n d i v i d u a l i s m of t h e p i o n e e r s . O u t o f t h i s m o d e l
c a m e h i s a r t i c u l a t i o n o f t h e i n t e r e s t s o f t h e ? c o m m o n m a n ? a n d his e m p h a s i s o n ? b r o t h e r h o o d , ? n o t i o n s t h a t f o u n d
t h e i r b e s t p o l i t i c a l e x p r e s s i o n , h e b e l i e v e d , i n t h e l i b e r a l i s m o f L a u r i e r . I d e a l i s t i c a l l y , he u r g e d p e o p l e t o c e a s e
b e i n g p a w n s o f e x p l o i t i v e o r g a n i z a t i o n s a n d c a p i t a l i s t greed, a n d t o r e t u r n t o t h e land f o r l i v e s o f s e l f - r e l i a n c e a n d
m u t u a l s u p p o r t . T h a t h i s a d v o c a c y w a s w i d e l y a d m i r e d is t e s t i f i e d to b y t h e n u m e r o u s o b i t u a r i e s o f ? t h e S a g e o f
E k f r i d ? t h a t a p p e a r e d i n n e w s p a p e r s a n d j o u r n a l s t h r o u g h o u t C a n a d a a n d U n i t e d S t a t e s a f t e r his d e a t h . He died i n
1 9 2 4 f o l l o w i n g s u r g e r y a t t h e V i c t o r i a H o s p i t a l in L o n d o n .

CARL P. B A L t S T A D T

P e t e r McArthur?s w r i t i n g s a r e listed in W . A. Deacon, Peter M c A r t h u r (Toronto, [ 1 9 2 3 ? ] ) a n d Alec Lucas, Peter

M c A r t h u r ( B o s t o n , [ 1 9 7 5 ] ) . I n a d d i t i o n , h e w r o t e ?Public o p i n i o n a n d political life,? i n T h e n e w era i n C a n a d a ;
e s s a y s d e a l i n g w i t h t h e u p b u i l d i n g o f t h e C a n a d i a n c o m m o n w e a l t h , e d . J. O . M i l l e r ( T o r o n t o , 1 9 1 7 ) , 3 3 1 - 4 5 . A
selection o f his w o r k s by Alec Lucas has been published as The best o f Peter McArthur, (Toronto, 1 9 6 7 ) .
M c A r t h u r ? s m a n u s c r i p t s , a l o n g w i t h m a n y o t h e r p a p e r s a n d his l a n t e r n s l i d e s , c a n b e f o u n d in U n i v . o f W e s t e r n
O n t . L i b r a r y , R e g i o n a l Coll. ( L o n d o n ) , B 4 2 9 1 - 9 4 .

A O , F 9 7 7 - 4 , Eddie C e m e t e r y ( E k f r i d T o w n s h i p , O n t . ) , n o s . 9 0 - 9 1 ( m f m . ) ; F 9 7 8 , St Mark?s A n g l i c a n C h u r c h ,
N i a g a r a [ N i a g a r a - o n - t h e - L a k e , O n t . ] , RBMB, 11 S e p t . 1 8 9 5 ( m f m . ) ; RG 8 0 - 5 - 0 - 2 2 6 , n o . 7 3 7 8 ; RG 8 0 - 8 - 0 - 9 6 6 ,
no.21243.

Univ. o f Toronto Arch., B 6 5 - 0 0 1 4 / 0 0 4 ( 0 2 ) .

Glencoe Transcript (Glencoe, Ont.), 12, 1 9 Sept. 1895; 7 Jan. 1904.

L o n d o n E v e n i n g A d v e r t i s e r , 29 Oct. 1 9 2 4 .

Canadian m e n and w o m e n o f t h e t i m e ( M o r g a n ; 1 8 9 8 and 1 9 1 2 ) .

B r a n d o n C o n r o n , ?Essays ( 1 8 8 0 - 1 9 2 0 ) , ? in L i t e r a r y h i s t o r y o f C a n a d a : C a n a d i a n l i t e r a t u r e i n E n g l i s h , e d . C. F.
K l i n c k e t al. ( T o r o n t o , 1 9 6 5 ) , 3 4 0 - 4 6 .

F. W. Watt, ?Peter McArthur and the agrarian myth,? Queen?s Quarterly (Kingston, Ont.), 67 ( 1 9 6 0 - 6 1 ) : 2 4 5 - 5 7

© 2000 University. of Toronto/Université Laval

Show generat bibliography

Date Created:
Date Modified:

http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=783 1 &&PHPSESSID=d1i6r7rhd... 4/11/2009

 Ancestors o f l a n Stuart M c A r t h u r L y i J y y

Alexander M a c A r t h u r ? @
b: Abt. 1740 i n A r g y l l Scotland
m : A b t . 1770 i n A r g y l l , Scotland
Archibald M c A r t h u r d: Abt. 1810 i n Scotland
b: Abt. 1780 in Iona, Scotland
m : 01 A p r 1804 i n K i l c a l m o n e l l & K i l b e r r y ,
A r g y l l , Scotland
d: 17 Dec 1864 i n Skipness A r g y l l , Scotland
Jean
b: 1750 i n A r g y l l , Scotland
d: i n Scotiand
Peter M c A r t h u r
b: 23 N o v 1809 i n Cionaig, Skipness Parish,
A r g y l l s h i r e , Scotland
m : 12 M a r 1850 in E k f r i d T w p , On Peter Gilchrist
d: 2 6 N o v 1884 i n Ekfrid, ON b: A b t . 1755 in K i l c a l m o n e l l , A r g y l l ,

Scotland
m : A b t . 1780 i n Scotland
Katherin M a r y Gilchrist d: i n A r g y l l , Scotland
b: 08 A u g 1783 in Kilcalmonell, A r g y l l ,
Scotland
d: 28 Jul 1861 i n Glencoe O N Canada Katherin Gilchrist
x oO
+ N , Peter Gilchrist M c A r t h o r
b: Abt. 1760 i n K i l c a l m o n e l l , A r g y ! l ,
b: 10 M a r 1866 in E k f r i d County, O N Scotland
m : 1] Sep 1895 i n Lincoln, Lincoln C o u n t y d: i n A r g y l l Scotland

4 ) d; 2 8 Oct 1924 in London, O N

p
Colin M c L e n n a n
b: Abt. 1790 in Lochalsh, Rosshire, Scotland
m: A b t . 1811 i n Rosshire, Scotland
d: Abt. 1850 i n Rosshire Scotland

Catherine McLennan
b: 07 N o v 1817 in Lochalsh Rosshire
Scotland
d: 0 6 A p r 1902 i n Eddie Cemetery,A p p i n ,
ON

McKenzie
b: i n Scotland
Tan S t u a r t M c A r t h u r Margaret McKenzie
b: 11 A u g 1907 i n Montclair, N e w Jersey, b: Abt. 1795 i n Lochlash, Rosshire, Scotland
USA d; 1850 i n E l g i n , O N

m: 2 3 Jan 1937 i n Galt (Cambridge) O N

d: 10 A u g 1970 i n Ottawa, ON, Canada
Benjamin Haywood
b: Abt. 1790 in England
m : A b t . 1840 i n O n t a r i o
d: Abt. 1875 i n Niagara O N

James H a y w o o d
b: 1850 in St Catherine's O N
m: 22 M a y 1872 i n L i n c o l n , L i n c o l n Co. O N
d: Abt. 1910 i n Ontario

Elvina H a y w o r d
b: Abt. 1830 i n O n t a r i o Canada
d: Abt. 1900 i n Niagara O N
Mabel Clara H a y w o o d
b: 1874 i n Niagara, O N
d: 1936 i n Glencoe, O N
Thomas Potter
b: Abt. 1830 i n O n t a r i o Canada
m : A b t . 1850 i n Niagara, O N
d: Abt. 1880 i n W e l l a n d Ontario, Canada

Clara Potter
b: 1854 i n Welland, O N
d: 1874 i n Welland, O N

Isaac Empey
b: Abt. 1780 in Spain
Elizabeth Empey d: in England
b: Abt. 1825 i n England
d: Abt. 1880 i n L i n c o l n , O N Canada