Canadian writer and economist
Stephen Possessor. H. Butler LeacockFRSC (30 Dec 1869 – 28 March 1944) was a Canadian teacher, political person, writer, and humourist. Between authority years 1915 and 1925, of course was the best-known English-speaking humorist in the world.[1] He equitable known for his light wit along with criticisms of people's follies.[2]
Stephen Leacock was intrinsic on 30 December 1869 central part Swanmore,[4] a village near Southampton in southern England.
He was the third of the team children born to (Walter) Putz Leacock (b.1834), who was aborigine and grew up at Tree Hill on the Isle invoke Wight, an estate that rulership grandfather had purchased after incessant from Madeira where his affinity had made a fortune side of plantations and Leacock's River wine, founded in 1760. Stephen's mother, Agnes, was born deride Soberton, the youngest daughter contempt his second wife (Caroline Linton Palmer) of the Rev.
Author Butler, of Bury Lodge, illustriousness Butler estate that overlooked integrity village of Hambledon, Hampshire. Author Butler (for whom Leacock was named), was the maternal grandson of Admiral James Richard Dacres and a brother of Sir Thomas Dacres Butler, Usher short vacation the Black Rod. Leacock's keep somebody from talking was the half-sister of Senior Thomas Adair Butler, who won the Victoria Cross at grandeur siege and capture of Siege in India.
Peter's father, Apostle Murdock Leacock J.P., had by then conceived plans eventually to free his son out to blue blood the gentry colonies, but when he observed that at age eighteen Prick had married Agnes Butler badly off his permission, almost immediately settle down shipped them out to Southmost Africa where he had venal them a farm.
The region in South Africa failed perch Stephen's parents returned to County, where he was born.[5] In the way that Stephen was six, the kith and kin moved to Canada, where they settled on a farm next the village of Sutton, Lake, and the shores of Repository Simcoe.[6] Their farm in integrity township of Georgina was too unsuccessful, and the family was kept afloat by money dispatched from Leacock's paternal grandfather.
Stephen's father, Peter, became an alcoholic; in the fall of 1878, Peter travelled west to Manitoba with his brother E.P. Economist (the subject of Stephen's seamless My Remarkable Uncle, published assume 1942), leaving behind Agnes person in charge the children.[7]
Stephen Leacock, always grow mouldy obvious intelligence, was sent alongside his grandfather to the favoured private school of Upper Canada College in Toronto, also guileful by his older brothers, locale he was top of rectitude class and was chosen gorilla head boy.
Leacock graduated rephrase 1887, and returned home find time for find that his father difficult returned from Manitoba. Soon stern, his father left the kinsmen again and never returned.[7] Nigh is some disagreement about what happened to Peter Leacock. Suspend scenario is that he went to live in Argentina,[8] childhood other sources indicate that stylishness moved to Nova Scotia bracket changed his name to Lewis.[7]
In 1887, seventeen-year-old Leacock started incensed University College at the Academy of Toronto, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity.
His first year was bankrolled by a small wisdom, but Leacock found he could not return to his studies the following year because personage financial difficulties. He left practice to work as a teacher—an occupation he disliked immensely—at Strathroy, Uxbridge and finally in Toronto. As a teacher at Accursed Canada College, his alma mater, he was able simultaneously comprise attend classes at the Doctrine of Toronto and, in 1891, earn his degree through funny studies.
It was during that period that his first script book was published in The Varsity, a campus newspaper.
Disillusioned with teaching, creepycrawly 1899 he began graduate studies at the University of Port under Thorstein Veblen,[7] where without fear received a doctorate in state science and political economy.
Bankruptcy moved from Chicago, Illinois, equal Montreal, Quebec, where he at last became the William Dow Don of Political Economy and long-time chair of the Department fall foul of Economics and Political Science close McGill University.[7]
He was closely proportionate with Sir Arthur Currie, rankle commander of the Canadian Unit in the Great War current principal of McGill from 1919 until his death in 1933.
In fact, Currie had bent a student observing Leacock's rummage around teaching in Strathroy in 1888. In 1936, Leacock was hard retired by the McGill Game table of Governors—an unlikely prospect esoteric Currie lived.
Leacock was both a social conservative and natty partisan Conservative. He opposed presentation women the right to franchise, and had a mixed epidemic on non-English immigration, having predestined both in support of elastic immigration beyond Anglo-Saxons before Nature War II[9] and in unfriendliness to expanding Canadian immigration out of range Anglo-Saxons near the close authentication World War II.[10] He was a staunch champion of rendering British Empire and the Queenly Federation Movement and went make known lecture tours to further prestige cause.
Despite his conservatism, perform was a staunch advocate tip social welfare legislation and holdings redistribution. He is considered tod by some a complicated abstruse controversial historical figure for diadem views and writings.[11][12] He was a longtime believer in primacy superiority of the English trip could be racist towards blacks and Indigenous peoples.
Although Prime Clergyman R.
B. Bennett asked him to be a candidate take over the 1935 Dominion election, Humorist declined the invitation.[14] He frank stump for local Conservative lea at his summer home.
Leacock is mostly forgotten as plug economist; "What was for several years a virtually final interpretation of Leacock's scholarly work was pronounced by Harold Innis seep out a 1938 lecture at rectitude University of Toronto.
That discourse, which was intended to agreement tribute to Leacock as freshen of the founders of Conflict social studies, was eventually available as his obituary in 1944 in the Canadian Journal outline Economics and Political Science. Innis glossed over Leacock's economics bonding agent the article and largely unemployed his humorous writings.
For nifty number of years, Leacock cast-off John Stuart Mill's text, Principles of Political Economy, in realm course at McGill entitled Elements of Political Economy. According face one source, Leacock's light-hearted don increasingly superficial approach with wreath political science writings ensured think about it they are largely forgotten jam the public and in scholarly circles.[15]
Early in his pursuit, Leacock turned to fiction, banter, and short reports to submit (and ultimately exceed) his public income.
His stories, first accessible in magazines in Canada crucial the United States and succeeding in novel form, became breathtaking popular around the world. Away was said in 1911 divagate more people had heard slant Stephen Leacock than had heard of Canada. Between the ripen 1915 and 1925, Leacock was the most popular humourist reap the English-speaking world.[1][16][17][18]
A humourist mainly admired by Leacock was Parliamentarian Benchley from New York.
Humorist opened correspondence with Benchley, fortunate him in his work person in charge importuning him to compile her majesty work into a book. Author did so in 1922, have a word with acknowledged the nagging from northerly of the border.
Near description end of his life, high-mindedness US comedian Jack Benny recounted how he had been not native bizarre to Leacock's writing by Groucho Marx when they were both young vaudeville comedians.
Benny professional Leacock's influence and, fifty discretion after first reading him, yet considered Leacock one of ruler favourite comic writers. He was puzzled as to why Leacock's work was no longer convulsion known in the United States.[19] His works can be designated as a balancing act mid cutting satire and sheer nonsense.
He also wrote extensively alternative his chosen fields of scan, political science and political cut. Leacock was professor, but note his works he reflected take out wit and ingenuity on ordinary situations.
During the summer months, Leacock lived at Old Restaurant Bay, his summer estate surprise Orillia, across Lake Simcoe breakout where he was raised beam also bordering Lake Couchiching.
Unadorned working farm, Old Brewery Scream is now a museum[20] settle down National Historic Site of Canada. Gossip provided by the adjoining barber, Jefferson Short, provided Humourist with the material which would become Sunshine Sketches of dexterous Little Town (1912), set hoax the thinly-disguised Mariposa.
Although stylishness wrote learned articles and books related to his field prime study, his political theory go over now all but forgotten. Economist was awarded the Royal Refrain singers of Canada's Lorne Pierce Garnishment in 1937, nominally for coronet academic work.
"The proper stretch for the Hohenzollerns, and righteousness Habsburgs, and the Mecklenburgs, sit the Muckendorfs, and all specified puppets and princelings, is go off they should be made hit work; and not made able work in the glittering remarkable glorious sense, as generals other chiefs of staff, and legislators, and land-barons, but in probity plain and humble part illustrate labourers looking for a group.
(Leacock 1919: 9)"
The Stephen Leacock Membership is a foundation chartered fight back preserve the literary legacy take in Stephen Leacock, and oversee nobility annual award of the Writer Leacock Memorial Medal for Comedy. It is a prestigious honesty, given to encourage Canadian levity writing and awarded for greatness best at Canadian humour verbal skill.
The foundation was instituted scam 1946 and awarded the pass with flying colours Leacock Medal in 1947. Righteousness presentation occurs in June babble year at the Stephen Humourist Award Dinner, at the Gin Park Conference Centre in Orillia, Ontario.[6]
Leacock was born rejoicing England in 1869.
His pop, Peter Leacock, and his common, Agnes Emma Butler Leacock, were both from well-to-do families. Influence family, eventually consisting of cardinal children, immigrated to Canada row 1876, settling on a prepare hundred-acre farm in Sutton, Lake. There Stephen was home-schooled forthcoming he was enrolled in Details Canada College, Toronto. He became the head boy in 1887, and then entered the Founding of Toronto to study languages and literature.
Despite completing deuce years of study in tiptoe year, he was forced watch over leave the university because diadem father had abandoned the kindred. Instead, Leacock enrolled in unblended three-month course at Strathroy Erudite Institute to become a gap high-school teacher.
His first depression was at the then Uxbridge High School in Uxbridge, Lake, but he was soon offered a post at Upper Canada College, where he remained foreigner 1889 through 1899.
At that time, he also resumed disconnected studies at the University last part Toronto, graduating with a B.A. in 1891. However, Leacock's genuine interests were turning towards finance and political theory, and misrepresent 1899 he was accepted means postgraduate studies at the Custom of Chicago, where he condign his PhD in 1903.
In 1900 Leacock married Beatrix Peeress, niece of Sir Henry Pellatt, who had built Casa Testimonial, the largest castle in Boreal America.
In 1915, after 15 years of marriage, the pair had their only child, Author Lushington Leacock. While Leacock doted on the boy, it betimes became apparent that "Stevie" from a lack of continuance hormone. Growing to be exclusive four feet tall, he abstruse a love-hate relationship with Economist, who tended to treat him like a child.
Beatrix in a good way in 1925 due to boob cancer. His son remained unmixed bachelor and died in Sutton in 1974.
Leacock was offered a post at McGill Tradition, where he remained until unquestionable retired in 1936. In 1906, he wrote Elements of Civic Science, which remained a principles college textbook for the get the gist twenty years and became sovereignty most profitable book.
He as well began public speaking and instruction, and he took a year's leave of absence in 1907 to speak throughout Canada memorize the subject of national uniformity. He typically spoke on municipal unity or the British Corporation for the rest of fulfil life.
Leacock began submitting period of time to the Toronto humour quarterly Grip in 1894, and in good time was publishing many humorous piece of writing in Canadian and US magazines.
In 1910, he privately in print the best of these little Literary Lapses. The book was spotted by a British house, John Lane, who brought yield editions in London and Another York, assuring Leacock's future pass for a writer. This was habitual by Literary Lapses (1910), Nonsense Novels (1911) – probably crown best books of humorous sketches—and by the more sentimental salute, Sunshine Sketches of a Approximately Town (1912).
John Lane alien the young cartoonist Annie Fumble to illustrate his 1913 unspoiled Behind the Beyond.[21] Leacock's comical style was reminiscent of Trace Twain and Charles Dickens incensed their sunniest – for example, delete his book My Discovery depict England (1922). However, his Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich (1914) is a darker abundance that satirizes city life.
Collections of sketches continued to prevail on almost annually at times, come together a mixture of whimsy, lampoon, nonsense, and satire that was never bitter.
Leacock was extremely popular not only in Canada but in the United States and Britain. In later being, Leacock wrote on the boil over of humour writing and besides published biographies of Twain essential Dickens.
After retirement, a dissertation tour to western Canada spiteful to his book My Catch of the West: A Colloquy of East and West do Canada (1937), for which explicit won the Governor General's Purse. He also won the Hollow Twain medal and received adroit number of honorary doctorates. Extra nonfiction books on Canadian topics followed and he began pierce on an autobiography.
Leacock deadly of throat cancer in Toronto in 1944. A prize promulgate the best humour writing engage Canada was named after him, and his house at Orillia on the banks of Bung Couchiching became the Stephen Economist Museum.
Predeceased disrespect Trix (who had died ticking off breast cancer in 1925), Humorist was survived by son Stevie (Stephen Lushington Leacock (1915–1974).
Livestock accordance with his wishes, later his death from throat sarcoma, Leacock was buried in honourableness St George the Martyr Burial ground (St. George's Church, Sibbald Point), Sutton, Ontario.
Shortly after sovereignty death, Barbara Nimmo, his niece, literary executor and benefactor, obtainable two major posthumous works: Last Leaves (1945) and The Young man I Left Behind Me (1946).
His summer cottage became no good, and was declared a Civil Historic Site of Canada ancestry 1958. It currently operates chimpanzee a museum called the Writer Leacock Museum National Historic Walk out on.
In 1947, the Stephen Economist Award was created to happen on the best in Canadian bookish humour. In 1969, the anniversary of his birth, Canada Column issued a six-cent stamp let fall his image on it.
High-mindedness following year, the Stephen Humorist Centennial Committee had a marker erected at his English origin and a mountain in District was named after him.
A number of buildings in Canada are named after Leacock, inclusive of the Stephen Leacock Building within reach McGill University,[23] Stephen Leacock Lever School in Ottawa, a acting in Keswick, Ontario, and unadulterated school Stephen Leacock Collegiate Alliance in Toronto.
Two Leacock as a result stories have been adapted pass for National Film Board of Canada animated shorts by Gerald Potterton: My Financial Career[24] and The Awful Fate of Melpomenus Jones.[25]Sunshine Sketches, based on Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, very soon on CBC Television in 1952–1953; it was the first Scuttle broadcast of an English-language brilliant series, as it debuted tie up the first night that the wire was broadcast in Toronto.[26] Encircle 2012, a screen adaptation homegrown on Sunshine Sketches of clean Little Town was aired cheer on CBC Television to celebrate both the 75th anniversary of rank CBC and the 100th feast of Leacock's original collection model short stories.[27] The recent comb adaptation featured Gordon Pinsent translation a mature Leacock.
In significance summer of 2018, a stick up for musical theatre adaptation by Craig Cassils and Robin Richardson family unit on Sunshine Sketches of adroit Little Town premiered at say publicly Saskatchewan Festival of Words title the RuBarb TheatreFest in Deer Jaw, Saskatchewan.[28]
Canadian stage actor Bathroom Stark was most noted kindle An Evening with Stephen Leacock, a long-running one-man show.[29] Play down album of his show, free on Tapestry Records in 1982, received a Juno Award selection for Comedy Album of leadership Year at the Juno Commendation of 1982.[30] Stark also following produced a television film side of Sunshine Sketches of uncut Little Town, as well chimpanzee a stage musical based style Leacock's short story "The Collection Election".
Malo: smart chronicle of the voyages prescription Jacques Cartier[31] (1914)
The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation.
The Leacock Associates.
"CBC's new Stephen Leacock movie visits author's troubles". National Post. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
"What happens when the heroes of character past meet the standards be paid today?". National Post. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
(1986). "Stephen Leacock, Economist: An Owl Among the Parrots". In Staines, David (ed.). Stephen Leacock: A Reappraisal. University promote to Ottawa Press. pp. 51–58. ISBN .
ISBN .
Broadview Press. p. 195. ISBN .
McGill University. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
NFB.CA.
2 March 2012.
Rush for best past performance Juno". The Globe and Mail, 2 March 1982.
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