William Kirby (author)
Encyclopedia
William Kirby, was a Canadian author, best known for his classic historical novel, The Golden Dog.
, England
, Kirby immigrated with his parents to the United States
in 1832, and then to Canada
in 1839, where after visiting Toronto
, Montreal
, and Quebec City
, he settled in Niagara, Ontario
, where his house still stands.
Kirby practiced as a tanner until his marriage with Eliza Madeline Whitmore, with whom he had three children (one of whom died in infancy.) For more than twenty years, Kirby was the editor of the Niagara Mail(1850–1871). From 1871-1895, he was a collector of customs at Niagara, and in 1883, he became a charter member of the Royal Society of Canada. He died at Niagara on June 23, 1906.
in 1748. Kirby finished writing this novel in 1873.
Although the first edition of the book was filled with errors, it was still very well received by the public and to Kirby’s delight, rumoured to have been read by Queen Victoria. The book was described as having both good characterization and description used to describe rural and urban locations. This novel was heavily influenced by the collection Maple Leaves, written by Quebec author James LeMoine (7 vol. 1863-1906). This provided Kirby with the history, legends, and oral traditions needed to write his book.
The Golden Dog was initially published in English and distributed within the United States without his permission in 1877. Kirby’s publisher Lovell, Adam Wesson and Company neglected to register the novel properly, so Kirby lost all royalties for his book. The copyright laws of the time stated all Canadian residents must register, publish, and distribute in Canada first, before distributing the book elsewhere, to secure copyright protection. The book was then picked up by New York publisher Richard Worthington, and re-issued in 1878, Kirby, once again, was neglected royalties.
In 1885, Kirby secured some rights when the French translation (Le Chien d’Or) was published. Copied versions of the story were, at this time, widely available, but unfortunately for Kirby, the translated version was not selling nearly as well.
Sometime later, Kirby was approached by L.C. Page and Company, a publishing company from Boston
with an offer of publishing a revised version of The Golden Dog. Kirby accepted this offer and revised the book, making corrections to the book in accordance with new developments in Quebec
’s history.
Life
Born in YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Kirby immigrated with his parents to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1832, and then to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1839, where after visiting Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, he settled in Niagara, Ontario
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
, where his house still stands.
Kirby practiced as a tanner until his marriage with Eliza Madeline Whitmore, with whom he had three children (one of whom died in infancy.) For more than twenty years, Kirby was the editor of the Niagara Mail(1850–1871). From 1871-1895, he was a collector of customs at Niagara, and in 1883, he became a charter member of the Royal Society of Canada. He died at Niagara on June 23, 1906.
The Golden Dog
Kirby’s importance as a Canadian writer rests largely on his novel The Golden Dog. Taking fifteen years to write, the historical romance was set in New FranceNew France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
in 1748. Kirby finished writing this novel in 1873.
Although the first edition of the book was filled with errors, it was still very well received by the public and to Kirby’s delight, rumoured to have been read by Queen Victoria. The book was described as having both good characterization and description used to describe rural and urban locations. This novel was heavily influenced by the collection Maple Leaves, written by Quebec author James LeMoine (7 vol. 1863-1906). This provided Kirby with the history, legends, and oral traditions needed to write his book.
The Golden Dog was initially published in English and distributed within the United States without his permission in 1877. Kirby’s publisher Lovell, Adam Wesson and Company neglected to register the novel properly, so Kirby lost all royalties for his book. The copyright laws of the time stated all Canadian residents must register, publish, and distribute in Canada first, before distributing the book elsewhere, to secure copyright protection. The book was then picked up by New York publisher Richard Worthington, and re-issued in 1878, Kirby, once again, was neglected royalties.
In 1885, Kirby secured some rights when the French translation (Le Chien d’Or) was published. Copied versions of the story were, at this time, widely available, but unfortunately for Kirby, the translated version was not selling nearly as well.
Sometime later, Kirby was approached by L.C. Page and Company, a publishing company from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
with an offer of publishing a revised version of The Golden Dog. Kirby accepted this offer and revised the book, making corrections to the book in accordance with new developments in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
’s history.
Publications
- The U. E.: a tale of Upper Canada. (Niagara, 1859), a poem in Spenserian stanzas.
- The Golden Dog. (New York and Montreal, 1877) (Boston: L.C. Page, 1896)
- Memoirs of the Servos family. (Toronto, 1884)
- Canadian Idylls. (Welland, Ontario, 1894)
- Annals of Niagara. (Lundy's Lane Historical Society, 1896) (Stratford, ON: Macmillan, 1927)