Arthur Wentworth Eaton

by George J. Dance

Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton (1849-1937). Courtesy Acadia University Archives.

Born	December 10, 1849 Kentville, Nova Scotia
Died	July 15, 1937
Nationality	Canadian
Citizenship	British subject
Notable work(s)	Acadian Legends and Lyrics.
Notable award(s)	Doctor of Civil Law

Rev. Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton (December 10, 1849 - July 15, 1937) was a Canadian poet, cleric, and academic.

Life

Eaton was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, the son of Anna Augusta Willougby (Hamilton) and William Eaton.

He attended Dalhousie College, Halifax, and Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1880 (in the same class as Theodore Roosevelt).

He was ordained a deacon of the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1884, and a priest in 1885.

Eaton served for some years as a professor in New York, gaining a reputation in academic circles. He wrote and published several historical works, and several volumes of poetry.

He died in Boston. He is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Kentville.

Writing

New York Tribune: "Mr. Eaton's Acadian Legends are characterized by melody, pathos, a strong feeling for nature, and refined taste. The spirit of Evangeline's country has been absorbed by the poet, who celebrates the Gaspereau and all the region round about with a tender melancholy fitted to the scene and its associations. He has caught the old world atmosphere which surrounds and mellows that beautiful land, and has given to his verse a softness and repose which are in perfect keeping with the subject."

Sir Charles G.D. Roberts: "These verses are direct, unstrained, natural, and always simple in form and motive. There is much easy melody, much tenderness of mood, much faithful and effective description. In the Acadian Legends Mr. Eaton may be said to revive that pleasant art that has long been in disuse, the art of telling a not very striking story in verse, and adding an evasive grace which persuades one that the tale was worth telling. The Lyrics are human and wholesome, almost without exception, and improve on close acquaintance."

Recognition

Eaton was made an honorary Doctor of Civil Law by the University of King's College in 1905.

Publications

Poetry

• Acadian Legends and Lyrics. London & New York: White & Allen, 1889; New York: F.A. Stokes, 1891.
• Acadian Ballads, and De Soto's last dream. New York: T. Whittaker, 1905.
• Poems of the Christian Year. New York: T. Whittaker, 1905.
• The Lotus of the Nile, and other poems. New York: T. Whittaker, 1906.
• Acadian Ballads, and Lyrics in many moods: Collected poems of Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1930.

Non-fiction

• Genealogical sketch of the Nova Scotia Eatons. Halifax, NS: Printed at the Morning Herald Office, 1885.
• The Heart of the Creeds: Historical religion in the light of modern thought. New York & London: Putnam, 1888.
• Letter-Writing: Its ethics and etiquette. New York: F.A. Stokes, 1890.
• The Church of England in Nova Scotia and the Tory clergy of the revolution. New York : T. Whittaker, 1891.
• Tales of a Garrison Town (with Craven Langstroth Betts). New York & St. Paul, MN: D.D. Merrill, 1892.
• College requirements in English entrance examinations. Boston: Ginn, 1892.
  • College requirements in English entrance examinations: Second series. Boston: Ginn, 1894.
  • College requirements in English entrance examinations: Tnird series. Boston: Ginn, 1900.
• The Elmwood Eatons. Kentville, NS: privately printed, 1895.
• Families of Eaton-Sutherland, Layton-Hill. New York: privately printed, 1899.
• The Cochran-Inglis Family of Halifax. Halifax, NS: C.H. Ruggles, 1899.
• Lt.-Col. Otho Hamilton of Olivestob. Halifax, NS: C.H. Ruggles, 1899.
• The History of Kings County, Nova Scotia: Heart of the Acadian land. Salem, MA: Salem Press, 1910.
• The Famous Mather Byles: The noted Boston Tory preacher, poet, and wit, 1707-1788. (Illustrated with many engravings from original paintings by Copley, the Pelhams and others). Boston: W.A. Butterfield, 1914.
• Rhode Island Settlers on the French Lands in Nova Scotia in 1760 and 1761. New York: National American Society, 1915.
• The Eaton family of Nova Scotia, 1760-1929. Cambridge, MA: privately printed by Murray Printing, 1929.

Edited

• Elizabeth Lichtenstein Johnston. Recollections of a Georgia Loyalist (Written in 1836). New York & London: M.F. Mansfield, 1901; Spartanburg, SC: Reprint Co., 1972.

I Watch The Ships (Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton Poem)

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of Canadian poets
• Timeline of Canadian poetry

External links

Poems

• 2 poems by Eaton: "O Happy Christmas Days of Old," "Christmas Prophecy"
• Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton in Canadian Poets: 5 poems.
• Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton at AllPoetry (6 poems)

Books

• Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton at Internet Archive
• Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton at the Online Books Page
• Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton at Amazon.com

About

• Reverend Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton, D.D. at The Nova Scotia Eatons
• Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton in Nova Scotia's Electric Scrapbook

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