Brantford in Brant County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Sara Jeannette Duncan
(1861-1922)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 25, 2022
1. Sara Jeannette Duncan Marker
Pioneering journalist in the late 19th century, Sara Jeannette Duncan challenged social and political norms by examining women’s changing roles, the need for a national culture, and the way Canadian politics worked. After she left Canada in 1890, she lived in India and England, and wrote more than 20 popular books. Known for astute social observation and her skillful use of irony and wit, she produced realistic novels with strong female characters. The Imperialist (1904), a Canadian classic, featured a fictionalized portrait of her hometown of Brantford and incisive commentary on the political complexities of her time.
Journaliste pionnière à la fin du XIXe siècle, Duncan défié les conventions de son temps en abordant le rôle changeant des femmes, la nécessité d'une culture nationale et les rouages de la politique canadienne. En 1890, elle part vivre en Inde et en Angleterre où elle rédige plus de vingt livres â succès. Connue pour ses observations sociales perspicaces et son humour fin et ironique, elle écrit des romans réalistes
this page online
Erected by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and Parks Canada/Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada et Parcs Canada.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Communications • Women. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1861.
Location. 43° 8.58′ N, 80° 16.04′ W. Marker is in Brantford, Ontario, in Brant County. Marker is on West Street just north of Chatham Street, on the left when traveling north. Marker is located on the front lawn of the Sara Jeannette Duncan childhood home. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 96 West Street, Brantford ON N3T 3E7, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Sara Jeannette Duncan 1861-1922 (here, next to this marker); Walter Allward (about 180 meters away, measured in a direct line); Bell Telephone Memorial (about 210 meters away); Brant County Court House (approx. 0.4 kilometers away); John Claude Whale
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 25, 2022
2. Sara Jeannette Duncan Marker
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Sara Jeannette Duncan
Also see . . .
1. Sara Jeannette Duncan • National Historic Person.
A well-known figure both in Canadian literature and in the history of women in journalism.(Submitted on February 6, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Sara Jeannette Duncan (Cotes).
Like many intellectual women of the day, she trained as a teacher, taking her third-class certificate at the Brantford Model School in 1879 and her second-class certificate at the Toronto Normal School in 1882. Her career in teaching, however, was short. Her first poems appeared in print in 1880 and her first article in 1881. In late 1884 Duncan persuaded John Cameron of the Toronto Globe to pay her for articles on the upcoming World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial exposition in New Orleans. She headed south in December. Her articles, published under the pseudonym Garth in both the Globe and the London Advertiser (London, Ont.) and reprinted in American papers, were so successful that she was offered a regular column in the Globe. Thus began a remarkable journalistic career.(Submitted on February 6, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Sara Jeannette Duncan.
Born Sarah Janet Duncan on 22 December 1861 at 96 West Street, Brantford, Canada, she was the oldest daughter of Charles Duncan, a well-off Scottish immigrant who worked as a dry goods and furniture merchant, and his wife, Jane (née Bell), who was Canada-born of Irish descent. She wrote 22 works of fiction, many with international themes and settings. In 2016, she was named a National Historic Person on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.(Submitted on February 6, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 6, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 5, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 64 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 6, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
