Gilbert Parker
Sir Horatio Gilbert George Parker was a Canadian-born novelist, journalist, and politician, known for his influential contributions to literature and public life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in a small lumber town and educated in Ottawa and Toronto, Parker began his career in education, teaching at the Ontario School for the Deaf and Dumb. His journalistic journey took him to Australia, where he became the associate editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. Returning to London in 1890, he focused on writing historical novels that often highlighted French Canadian culture, with notable works including *The Seats of the Mighty*, *The Trail of the Sword*, and *When Valmond Came to Pontiac*.
In addition to his literary pursuits, Parker ventured into politics, aligning himself with the Conservative Party and serving as the parliamentary representative for Gravesend for 18 years. He was knighted for his contributions to Canadian literature, and during World War I, he worked with the British War Propaganda Bureau to shape public opinion. After retiring from politics in 1918, Parker continued to have a lasting impact, evidenced by the presence of prominent figures, including the Prime Minister of Canada, at his funeral. Parker's life reflects a fusion of literary achievement and political engagement, making him a notable figure in Canadian and British history.
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Subject Terms
Gilbert Parker
Author
- Born: June 30, 1860
- Birthplace: Camden East, Ontario, Canada
- Died: September 6, 1932
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Sir Horatio Gilbert George Parker, whose father was Captain J. Parker, was born in a small lumber town and attended school in Ottawa before entering Trinity University in Toronto. After college, Parker committed several years to teaching in Belleville, Ontario, at the Ontario School for the Deaf and Dumb. He also lectured at Trinity College, and after a move to Australia, he became associate editor of the Sydney Morning Herald in 1886.
Over the next few years, Parker traveled throughout Europe, the Pacific, Asia, Egypt, and northern Ontario before settling in London in 1890 to begin writing novels and stories. These stories were published both in England and in North America. Among his works that were dramatized was The Seats of the Mighty, which was published in 1896, hitting the stage the following year. Parker’s novels, inspired historical stories brimming with French Canadian history and culture, achieved great popularity; among the most praised were The Trail of the Sword and When Valmond Came to Pontiac, published in 1894 and 1895, respectively.
Also in 1895, Parker married the wealthy Miss Van Tine of New York and around the same time began focusing on a British political career. In 1900, as an affiliate of the Conservative Party, Parker was elected the Gravesend representative to parliament, an office he would hold for the next eighteen years. Two years after joining parliament, Parker was knighted in honor of his contributions to Canadian literature.
The writer was also an Imperialist, and during World War I, he aided the British War Propaganda Bureau in its efforts to influence public opinion in Britain about the United States. Parker’s work to this end included writing the 1915 pamphlets An Account of the Origins and Conduct of the Great War, What is the Matter With England?, and Is England Apathetic?. Parker then retired from politics in 1918, though his impact and influence did not end in his later years; upon his death fourteen years later, one of the pallbearers was the Prime Minister of Canada.