Margaret Wade Labarge
Encyclopedia
Margaret Wade Labarge was a Canadian historian
and author
specializing in the role of women in the Middle Ages
. She was adjunct professor of history at Carleton University
.
Labarge attended Harvard
and Oxford Universities, and taught at the University of Ottawa
before her move to Carleton. In 1982, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada
. In 1988, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
. She authored nine books about history.
and grew up on the Upper East Side
. Her father, Alfred B. Wade, was a partner in a brokerage firm and her mother, Cecilia Helen Mein Wade, was an alumnus of Sacred Heart
. Her parents had expectations of her that were no less than those for her three older brothers: Monroe became and actor and drama teacher in Princeton
; Hugh became head of the Canadian Studies
department at the University of Rochester
and writer of The French Canadians, a history of the economy of French Canada
; Philip was a World War II soldier who earned a medal of honour from France.
The family moved from New York to New Canaan, Connecticut
after a physician made a recommendation for country living to help ten-year-old Wade's vision problems. She was also told not to read at all for a year, but she snuck books into trees she climbed and under her covers at night. She later attended a Sacred Heart boarding school in Greenwich, Connecticut
.
, then went on to graduate studies at St Anne's College of Oxford University. She considered English literature as a focus, but settled upon medieval history; her supervisor was Frederick Maurice Powicke
. She wrote her thesis about Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
.
, where the couple had two daughters and two sons. She became a patriotic Canadian, and renounced her US citizenship. She wrote nine books about history, mostly focusing on the lives of women in medieval times. Her husband was named deputy minister of customs and excise in the National Revenue Ministry; he died when she was 55.
She wrote and lectured at Ottawa universities, while also expanding her volunteer work; she was named to the Order of Canada
in 1982, with mention of her historical writing and her volunteer work with nurses and with the elderly. She became the first president of the Canadian Society of Medievalists
in 1993.
She is best known for two of her books: A Baronial Household of the Thirteenth Century is about Eleanor, wife of Simon de Montfort, detailing the time while her husband was away at war; and Medieval Travellers: The Rich and the Restless is about Mary, daughter of Edward I of England
, a peripatetic nun.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
specializing in the role of women in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. She was adjunct professor of history at Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
.
Labarge attended Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and Oxford Universities, and taught at the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
before her move to Carleton. In 1982, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. In 1988, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
. She authored nine books about history.
Early life and family
Margaret ("Polly") Wade was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and grew up on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
. Her father, Alfred B. Wade, was a partner in a brokerage firm and her mother, Cecilia Helen Mein Wade, was an alumnus of Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
. Her parents had expectations of her that were no less than those for her three older brothers: Monroe became and actor and drama teacher in Princeton
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
; Hugh became head of the Canadian Studies
Canadian Studies
Canadian Studies is a Collegiate study of Canadian culture, Canadian languages, literature, Quebec, agriculture, history, and their government and politics. Most universities recommend that students take a double major and French, if not included in the course...
department at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
and writer of The French Canadians, a history of the economy of French Canada
French Canada
French Canada, also known as "Lower Canada", is a term to distinguish the French Canadian population of Canada from English Canada.-Definition:...
; Philip was a World War II soldier who earned a medal of honour from France.
The family moved from New York to New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
after a physician made a recommendation for country living to help ten-year-old Wade's vision problems. She was also told not to read at all for a year, but she snuck books into trees she climbed and under her covers at night. She later attended a Sacred Heart boarding school in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
.
Education
She studied at Radcliffe CollegeRadcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
, then went on to graduate studies at St Anne's College of Oxford University. She considered English literature as a focus, but settled upon medieval history; her supervisor was Frederick Maurice Powicke
F. M. Powicke
Sir Frederick Maurice Powicke was an English medieval historian. He was a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, delivered the Ford Lectures in 1927, and from 1929 was Regius Professor of History at Oxford. He was knighted in 1946....
. She wrote her thesis about Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester
Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, 1st Earl of Chester , sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from other Simon de Montforts, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman. He led the barons' rebellion against King Henry III of England during the Second Barons' War of 1263-4, and...
.
Career and later personal life
She married a Canadian she had met at Oxford, Raymond Labarge, who was there studying law. They moved to Canada, and she spent most of her later years in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, where the couple had two daughters and two sons. She became a patriotic Canadian, and renounced her US citizenship. She wrote nine books about history, mostly focusing on the lives of women in medieval times. Her husband was named deputy minister of customs and excise in the National Revenue Ministry; he died when she was 55.
She wrote and lectured at Ottawa universities, while also expanding her volunteer work; she was named to the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1982, with mention of her historical writing and her volunteer work with nurses and with the elderly. She became the first president of the Canadian Society of Medievalists
Canadian Society of Medievalists
Canadian Society of Medievalists is a Canadian learned society of medievalists .It publishes an annual journal, Florilegium, which is "devoted to the ancient and medieval cultures of Europe, North Africa, and the Near East."...
in 1993.
She is best known for two of her books: A Baronial Household of the Thirteenth Century is about Eleanor, wife of Simon de Montfort, detailing the time while her husband was away at war; and Medieval Travellers: The Rich and the Restless is about Mary, daughter of Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, a peripatetic nun.
Selected works
- (1965) A Baronial Household of the Thirteenth Century
- (1968) Saint Louis: The Life of Louis IX of France, London.
- (1980) Gascony, England's First Colony 1204–1453. London: Hamish Hamilton
- (1982) Medieval Travellers: The Rich and the Restless, London: Hamish Hamilton
- (1986) A Small Sound of the Trumpet: Women in Medieval Life, London: Hamish Hamilton, ISBN 0-241-11809-3
- Simon de Montfort
- Henry V