Adam Kidd
Adam Kidd was a nineteenth-century Canadian poet of Irish origin, who immigrated to Canada at the age of sixteen and settled in Quebec. Initially studying to become an Anglican priest under Archdeacon George Jehoshaphat Mountain, Kidd was dismissed from his studies due to his personal inclinations, which he felt conflicted with the expectations of the church. His travels across the United States and parts of Canada from 1828 to 1831 enriched his literary work, particularly his long poem, "The Huron Chief." This poem reflects Kidd’s identity as a radical Irishman and his empathy towards Native Americans, stemming from his own experiences as a social outsider. Through his writings, he critiqued the Anglo-Scottish ruling class in Canada and voiced the struggles of marginalized groups, including Canadian Indigenous peoples. Kidd self-published "The Huron Chief," achieving notable success with over fifteen hundred copies sold, a significant feat for the period. He began work on a second collection titled "The Tales and Traditions of the Indians," but unfortunately passed away in 1831 at the young age of twenty-nine, leaving this second project unfinished.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Adam Kidd
Poet
- Born: Probably 1802
- Birthplace: Northern Ireland
- Died: July 1, 1831
- Place of death: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Adam Kidd, a nineteenth century Canadian poet, was born in Ireland. He immigrated to Canada at the age of sixteen and became a resident of Quebec. Kidd studied to be an Anglican priest under the Protestant Archdeacon, George Jehoshaphat Mountain. However, he was dismissed from his studies and determined unsuitable for the priesthood due to his fondness for women. From 1828 to 1831, Kidd traveled throughout the United States, Upper Canada, and the western Canadian frontier. During these travels, he gathered material for his most noted long poem, The Huron Chief.
Kidd’s self-identity as a radical Irishman was manifested in The Huron Chief. Kidd sympathized with Native Americans, as he also felt like a social outcast due to his Irish heritage and failure to conform to the religious-based political order of Lower Canada. His writings demonstrated his dislike of the Anglo-Scottish ruling class in the Canadian colonies and proved to be the voice of mistreated Canadian Indians. Kidd published The Huron Chief at his own expense and solicited advanced subscriptions for copies. He claimed to have sold more than fifteen hundred copies of this work, a substantial amount of sales for this time.
Kidd began writing a second volume of poetry titled The Tales and Traditions of the Indians. However, he died in 1831, at the age of twenty-nine, before he was able to complete the publication of this second collection.