Duncan Campbell Scott
Duncan Campbell Scott (1862-1947) was a Canadian poet and civil servant born in Ottawa, Ontario. He grew up in a diverse environment, as his father was an English immigrant and his mother a native Canadian. Scott's educational journey was interrupted by financial difficulties, leading him to a career as a federal clerk in the Department of Indian Affairs, where he rose to the position of deputy superintendent general by 1913, a role he held for two decades. His literary career began in the late 1880s, influenced by fellow poet Archibald Lampman, and included the publication of poetry and prose in various esteemed magazines. Over his lifetime, Scott published thirteen books of poetry, with notable works such as *The Magic House, and Other Poems* and *New World Lyrics and Ballads*. He experienced personal loss with the death of his first wife, Belle Warner Botsford, in 1929, before marrying poet Elise Aylen in 1931. Scott's legacy includes not only his contributions to Canadian literature but also his complex role in the administration of Indigenous affairs in Canada. He passed away shortly after the release of his final book, leaving behind a significant body of work that continues to be studied and discussed.
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Duncan Campbell Scott
Poet
- Born: August 2, 1862
- Birthplace: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Died: December 19, 1947
- Place of death: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Biography
Duncan Campbell Scott was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in 1862. His father, a Methodist minister, was an English immigrant, and his mother was a native Canadian. Scott’s father served many different churches as a minister, so Scott spent his childhood traveling. He attended several different schools, including junior college in Quebec. In 1879, Scott was unable to continue his educational pursuits due to financial hardship, and he became a federal clerk in the Department of Indian Affairs. He had a stellar career in the department and received several prestigious promotions. In 1913, he was named deputy superintendent general of Indian Affairs, the highest nonelected position in the department. Scott held this position until his retirement twenty years later.
Shortly after he began his government career, Scott began writing poetry. He had made the acquaintance of poet Archibald Lampman, who encouraged him to experiment with verse. Scott soon expanded his writing to include prose and short stories. In 1887, he published his first story in the highly esteemed Scribner’s magazine; the following year, one of Scott’s poems appeared in the same publication. Throughout his life Scott published his work in a variety of magazines and journals.
The first full volume of Scott’s work, The Magic House, and Other Poems, was published in 1893. The following year, Scott married concert violinist Belle Warner Botsford, with whom he had a daughter. Between 1893 and 1947, Scott published thirteen books of poetry, including New World Lyrics and Ballads, Lundy’s Lane, and Other Poems, and The Green Cloister: Later Poems.
In 1931, two years after the death of his first wife, Scott married the poet Elise Aylen. He spent much of his retirement traveling with her throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada. He died in 1947 after a short illness, just after the release of his book The Circle of Affection, and Other Pieces in Prose and Verse.