John Wedderburn Dunbar Moodie
John Wedderburn Dunbar Moodie (1797-1869) was a Scottish soldier and writer who played a significant role in 19th-century Canadian history. Born in Melsetter, Orkney Islands, he came from a military family and joined the Royal North British Fusiliers in 1813, where he sustained injuries during the Napoleonic Wars. After serving as a magistrate in South Africa, he returned to England and embarked on a writing career, publishing his first work in 1831. Moodie married Susanna Strickland in 1831, and the couple immigrated to Canada in 1832, hoping to establish a better life. They initially pursued farming but faced challenges that led them to abandon that venture. Following the rebellion in Upper Canada, Moodie became the sheriff of the Victoria District, a role he held until allegations of misconduct prompted his resignation in 1863. Despite his contributions to military literature and involvement in his wife’s celebrated writings about life in Canada, his own achievements as an author were often overshadowed by hers. Moodie's life reflects the struggles and aspirations of settlers during that era in Canadian history.
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Subject Terms
John Wedderburn Dunbar Moodie
Author
- Born: October 7, 1797
- Birthplace: Melsetter, Orkney Islands, Scotland
- Died: October 22, 1869
Biography
John Wedderburn Dunbar Moodie was born October 7, 1797, in the town of Melsetter, in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. He was the fourth son of Major James Moodie. His family had a long tradition of military service, and two of his brothers served in the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1813, Moodie joined the Royal North British Fusiliers. He was wounded in the wrist at the battle at Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands, and he received two years of paid military compensation as a result of his injury.
In 1819, Moodie joined two of his older brothers in South Africa, where he served as a magistrate at Umkomas, Natal. He returned to England in 1829, and began his career as a writer. His first published work was an article about the attack at Bergen op Zoom, which appeared in the United States Journal in 1831.
Moodie met Susanna Strickland at the home of a mutual friend, Thomas Pringle, who was the secretary of the Anti-Slavery Society in 1830. The couple became engaged. However, at one point, Susanna broke off the engagement, and Moodie returned from Scotland to convince her to marry him. Their marriage finally took place on April 4, 1831. Because Moodie was on half-pay from the military, and Susanna had little money of her own, they decided to move to Canada, arriving there in 1832. They hoped that the move would secure a comfortable future for themselves and their children. Moodie purchased a farm near Cobourg, Upper Canada, in 1832, and in 1834, the family moved to Douro Township. Unfortunately, their lives as settlers were filled with many adjustments and judgment errors, and they abandoned farming in favor of living in Bellevue.
After the outbreak of rebellion in Upper Canada, Moodie joined the provincial militia, and in November, 1839, he was named as the sheriff of the Victoria District. Moodie served as sheriff until 1863, when he was accused of misconduct in arranging the hiring of a deputy. He resigned his post. The ruling in the matter went against Moodie, although he was found to have acted unintentionally. After his resignation, Moodie was unable to secure another paying job.
Moodie was the author of a book on military history, Scenes and Adventures as a Soldier and Settler During Half a Century, published in 1866. He also published a description of the field sports of South Africa, and a volume of military history. As well, he contributed to his wife’s account of life in the Canadian wilderness, Roughing It in the Bush. Moodie’s own accomplishments as a writer were overshadowed by those of his wife, Susanna.