William Canton (1845-1946). Photo by Walter Stoneman (1876-1958). Courtesy National Portrait Gallery.
William Canton (27 October 1845 - 2 May 1926) was an English poet, journalist, and prose writer.
Life[]
Overview[]
Canton is now best known for his contributions to children's literature. These include his series of 3 books, beginning with The Invisible Playmate, written for his daughter Winifred Vida (1891-1901). In his lifetime he was known for his use of recent archeological evidence of prehistory in his poetry.
Youth and education[]
Canton was born at Chusan (Zhoushan) in China to a Catholic family of civil servants.
His childhood was spent mostly in Jamaica. He studied for the priesthood at Douai and later in Paris, but eventually abandoned the presthood as a vocation to become a teacher and writer.
Career[]
He worked as a journalist in London and Glasgow, where he became editor of the Glasgow Weekly Herald and later a leader-writer for the Glasgow Herald.[1]
He later left the Catholic Church to become a protestant.
In 1891 Canton moved to London, where he worked for the religious book and magazine publisher W. Isbister, later being appointed as editor of the Sunday Review and the Sunday Magazine . He also contributed articles and poems to Good Words.[1]
In 1901 Canton's daughter Winifred died suddenly at the age of 10. He resigned from Isbister and took up the offer to write the official history of the Bible Society, which he hoped would comfort him. The 9-volume history took 5 years to complete.[1] He also published literature about Winifred: The Invisible Playmate, recollections of his daughter, W.V.: Her Book and Rhymes About a Little Woman.
Canton completed his history in 1910, after which he devoted himself to children's literature and historical works, including The Bible and the Anglo-Saxon People (1914) and The Bible Story (1915).[1]
Writing[]
Canton's early poetry was highly regarded in his lifetime for its attempt to represent in verse recent scientific theories, especially Darwinism, which he addressed in his poem Through the Ages (1879). Thomas Huxley supported Canton's attempts to introduce scientific terminology into verse. The Sanskritist Max Müller also praised Canton's works, writing that "I look upon them as equal to Matthew Arnold's poems, and having been an old friend and sincere admirer of Arnold, I could give no higher praise". Walter Pater, wrote to Canton that he gave expression to "primeval, pre-adamite, or pre-historic subjects...you have certainly made their poetic side your own".[1]
Canton's later work was more religious in emphasis, but his output almost ceased after the death of his daughter. In 1913 Canton began a new religious poem The Mask of Veronica, but it was unfinished at his death.[1]
Quotations[]
And our lineage was hoary ere Eve's apple tree grew green;
For the Bee, whose drowsy humming
Was prophetic of Man's coming,
Lies in gem-like tomb of amber, buried in the Miocene. (Through the Ages)
What year was it that blew
The Aryan's wicker-work canoe
Which brought the shell to English land?
What prehistoric man or woman's hand,
With what intent, consigned it to this grave —
The barrow set in sound of the Ancient World's last wave? (An Indian Cowrie found in a Cornish barrow at Land's End)
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- A Lost Epic, and other poems. Edinburgh: W. Blackwood, 1887.
- The Comrades: Poems, old and new. London: Isbister, 1902.
- William Canton. London: Ernest Benn, 1925.
- Poems. London: G.G. Harrap, 1927.
Non-fiction[]
- In memory of W.V. London: Dent, 1901.
- Little Hands and God's Book: A sketch of the Bible Society, 1804-1904. London: Bible House, 1904.
- also published as The Story of the Bible Society. London: John Murray, 1904.
- A History of the British and Foreign Bible Society. (5 volumes), London: John Murray, 1904-1910. Volume I, Volume II, Volume III, Volume IV, Volume V
- The Bible and the English People. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, 1911
- also published as The Bible and the Anglo-Saxon People. London: Dent / New York: Dutton, 1914.
- Dawn in Palestine. London: Society for Promoting Christian knowledge, for Syria and Palestine Relief Fund, 1918.
Juvenile[]
- The Invisible Playmate: A story of the unseen. Publisher: London : Isbister / Edinburgh: Ballantyne, Hanson, 1894.
- W.V.: Her book, and various verses (illustrated by C.E. Brock). London: Isbister, 1896.
- W.V's Golden Legend. New York: Dodd, 1898.
- A Child's Book of Saints (illustrated by Thomas Hastings Robinson). London: Dent / Edinburgh: Ballantyne, Hanson, 1898.
- A Child's Book of Warriors (illustrated by Herbert Cole). London: Dent / New York: Dutton, 1907.
- The Story of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (illustrated by Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale). London: Herbert & Daniel / Boston: Dana Estes, [191-?]
- The Bible Story. New York & London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1915.
Collected editions[]
- The Invisible Playmate / W.V.: Her book. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1898.
- The Invisible Playmate / W.V.: Her book / In memory of W.V.. London: Dent / New York: Dutton, 1912.
Edited[]
When the Herds Were Watching by William Canton-Christmas Poem
- Children's Sayings: Edited, with a digression on the small people. London: Isbister, 1900.
- Charles Robinson, The True Annals of Fairy-land: The reign of King Herla. London: Dent, 1900.
- Songs of England's Glory. London: Isbister / New York: Putnam, 1902.
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[2]
When Snow Lies Deep by William Canton-Christmas Poem
See also[]
References[]
- Poems of Today (1915), p. xix of biographical notes to later editions.
Notes[]
External links[]
- Poems
- 2 songs by Canton: "When the herds were watching," "When Snow Lies Deep"
- Canton in A Victorian Anthology: "Karma," "Laus Infantium," "A New Poet"
- William Canton at Poetry Nook (6 poems)
- William Canton at PoemHunter (18 poems)
- William Canton poems at the Baldwin Online Children's Project
- Books
- Works by William Canton at Project Gutenberg
- W.V. Her Book and Various Verses and W.V.'s Golden Legend from the University of Florida, Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature]]
- William Canton at Amazon.com
- About
- William Canton at PeoplePill
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