Kate McPhelim Cleary
Encyclopedia
Kate McPhelim Cleary was a noted 19th century American author
.
, Canada
, the daughter of Irish immigrants James McPhelim and Margaret Kelly. Kate’s father died when she was two years old, leaving her mother Margaret Kelly McPhelim to raise her four children alone. After a brief return to Ireland
to live with relatives, financial hardships forced the family to emigrate to Philadelphia. Kate published her first poem at the age of 14, and her first short story by the age of 15. During this time, all four of the McPhelim children turned to writing stories, poems and articles for such publications as The Chicago Tribune and Philadelphia’s Saturday Night as a source of income for the family.
Two years later in 1880, Kate’s family moved to Chicago
, where Kate married Chicago businessman Michael Timothy Cleary in 1884. That same year Kate and her mother both relocated to Nebraska
, where Michael Cleary had established a lumber business in partnership with his brother-in-law John Templeton. Between the years of 1887 and 1894, Kate gave birth to five children (James, Marguerite, Gerald, Rosemarie and Vera). Kate’s mother died of pneumonia
in 1893, and in 1894 Kate’s life was threatened by a fever following the birth of her youngest daughter, Vera. In that same year, Kate’s daughter Marguerite died of typhoid fever at the age of six. In 1895 Michael Cleary left temporarily for Chicago in an attempt to rescue his business, and during the next three years he traveled frequently in search of a better climate to alleviate his failing health. In 1895, Kate’s daughter Rosemarie died at the age of three. Two years later, Kate gave birth to another son (Edward) in 1897. In 1898 her husband sold the lumber
business and moved the family to Chicago.
In 1902, Kate voluntarily entered a private sanitarium
for an addiction to morphine
. The following year she was admitted to the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane in Elgin, Illinois
in order to recover from her morphine dependency. The hospital pronounced her “sane” in the spring of 1904. In 1905, her husband attempted to commit Kate involuntarily to an insane asylum, but his attempt was thwarted by a court battle in which a jury determined that Kate was sane. She died soon thereafter at the age of 41, succumbing to a heart condition she had endured most of her life.
, Good Housekeeping
, Cosmopolitan
, St. Nicholas, and The Youth's Companion. Her poem "Nebraska" was recited at the Chicago's World Fair of 1893. Her feminist novel Like a Gallant Lady was received favorably by the critical press, which compared her novel to the works of Hamlin Garland
.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Biography
Kate McPhelim was born in Richibucto, New BrunswickNew Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the daughter of Irish immigrants James McPhelim and Margaret Kelly. Kate’s father died when she was two years old, leaving her mother Margaret Kelly McPhelim to raise her four children alone. After a brief return to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to live with relatives, financial hardships forced the family to emigrate to Philadelphia. Kate published her first poem at the age of 14, and her first short story by the age of 15. During this time, all four of the McPhelim children turned to writing stories, poems and articles for such publications as The Chicago Tribune and Philadelphia’s Saturday Night as a source of income for the family.
Two years later in 1880, Kate’s family moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where Kate married Chicago businessman Michael Timothy Cleary in 1884. That same year Kate and her mother both relocated to Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, where Michael Cleary had established a lumber business in partnership with his brother-in-law John Templeton. Between the years of 1887 and 1894, Kate gave birth to five children (James, Marguerite, Gerald, Rosemarie and Vera). Kate’s mother died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in 1893, and in 1894 Kate’s life was threatened by a fever following the birth of her youngest daughter, Vera. In that same year, Kate’s daughter Marguerite died of typhoid fever at the age of six. In 1895 Michael Cleary left temporarily for Chicago in an attempt to rescue his business, and during the next three years he traveled frequently in search of a better climate to alleviate his failing health. In 1895, Kate’s daughter Rosemarie died at the age of three. Two years later, Kate gave birth to another son (Edward) in 1897. In 1898 her husband sold the lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
business and moved the family to Chicago.
In 1902, Kate voluntarily entered a private sanitarium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
for an addiction to morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
. The following year she was admitted to the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane in Elgin, Illinois
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
in order to recover from her morphine dependency. The hospital pronounced her “sane” in the spring of 1904. In 1905, her husband attempted to commit Kate involuntarily to an insane asylum, but his attempt was thwarted by a court battle in which a jury determined that Kate was sane. She died soon thereafter at the age of 41, succumbing to a heart condition she had endured most of her life.
Professional accomplishments
In 1898, Kate McPhelim Cleary was named by The Chicago Chronicle as "One of the three leading women humorists in Chicago". Her short stories regularly appeared in such publications as The Chicago Tribune, Puck, Belford's Monthly, The Chicago Daily News, McClure'sMcClure's
McClure's or McClure's Magazine was an American illustrated monthly periodical popular at the turn of the 20th century. The magazine is credited with creating muckraking journalism. Ida Tarbell's series in 1902 exposing the monopoly abuses of John D...
, Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a women's magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the...
, Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
, St. Nicholas, and The Youth's Companion. Her poem "Nebraska" was recited at the Chicago's World Fair of 1893. Her feminist novel Like a Gallant Lady was received favorably by the critical press, which compared her novel to the works of Hamlin Garland
Hamlin Garland
Hannibal Hamlin Garland was an American novelist, poet, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his fiction involving hard-working Midwestern farmers.- Biography :...
.
Works
- The Lady of Lynhurst (1886)
- Vella Vernel (1887)
- Feet of Clay (1893)
- Nebraska (1893)
- Told on a Prairie Schooner (1893)
- The New ManThe New ManThe New Man was the first episode of the second series of the British television series, Upstairs, Downstairs. The episode is set in the summer of 1908.-Cast:Guest cast*Colin Cunningham *Bill Burridge *Lilian Padmore...
(1895) - A Prairie Sketch (1895)
- Dust StormDust stormA dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition...
(1895) - Like a Gallant Lady (1897)
- Jim Peterson’s Pension (1899)
- The Rebellion of Mrs. McLelland (1899)
- An Ornament to Society (1899)
- The Road That Didn’t Lead Anywhere (1899)
- His Onliest One (1899)
- How Jimmy Ran Away (1899)
- Sent to Syringa (1899)
- The Stepmother (1901)
Adaptations
- In 2001, the Radio TalesRadio TalesRadio Tales is an American series of radio dramas produced by Generations Productions. This series adapted classic works of American and world literature such as The War of the Worlds, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Beowulf, Gulliver's Travels, and the One Thousand and One Nights...
series produced the radio drama Feet of Clay, which was an adaptation of Kate McPhelim Cleary's short story of the same name, as published in Belford's Monthly magazine in 1893. The radio drama adaptation premiered on National Public Radio and is subsequently broadcast on XM Satellite RadioXM Satellite RadioXM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
. For the synopsis of the Radio Tales adaptation, see Feet of Clay (radio) summary.