Ralph Connor
Encyclopedia
Rev. Dr. Charles William Gordon, or Ralph Connor, (September 13, 1860 – October 31, 1937) was a Canadian
novelist, using the Connor pen name while maintaining his status as a Church leader, first in the Presbyterian
and later the United
churches in Canada. Gordon was also at one time a master at Upper Canada College
. He sold more than five million copies of his works in his lifetime, and some of his works are still in print.
Gordon was born in Glengarry County, Ontario
, the son of Rev. Daniel Gordon (1822–1910) and Mary Robertson Gordon (d. 1890). His father was a Free Church of Scotland
Missionary in Upper Canada
. The family moved from Glengarry to Harrington
, Oxford County, Ontario
when he was a youth. Like many other young men in the area, Gordon went to Toronto to study at University of Toronto
. He then attended Knox College
and graduated with distinction in 1886.
and Europe
and spent a term of study in Edinburgh
. He was ordained a Presbyterian misinster in 1890. He moved to Alberta
, then still part of the Northwest Territories
, and he served a large area west of Calgary that today includes the municipalities of Banff
and Canmore
. He served in the Rocky Mountains until 1894. The congregation in Canmore is called Ralph Connor Memorial United Church in rembrance of his time there.
He moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where he would spend nearly 40 years as minister of St. Stephen's Presbyterian/United Church, which was a new congregation when he arrived. During these 40 years he also wrote in Kenora, Ontario on Lake of the Woods.
Near the start of the First World War, in 1915 he became Chaplain of the 43rd (Cameron Highlanders) Battalion CEF
(see The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
). In 1916 he was made senior chaplain of Canadian Forces in England with the rank of Major. He then proceeded to France as senior chaplain, 9th Brigade, British Expeditionary Force. He was mentioned in Imperial despatches.
After returning from Europe, he was Moderator
of the 1921 Presbyterian General Assembly and became a strong advocate for union of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational
Churches in Canada. In June 1925, he was on the podium during the final benediction
of the Presbyterian Church General Assembly at Toronto's College Street Church
. He encouraged the organist to play Handel
's Hallelujah Chorus as loudly as possible to drown out the sound of protests from the so-called "Continuing Presbyterians" who had gathered in the front corner of the assembly hall to vote on resuming nearby
later that evening.
From humble parishioners to Hollywood movie stars, the home welcomed people from all over the world, attracted to Reverend Gordon who had gained international acclaim for his good works and stardom as one of the world's best selling novelists of the time.
While Reverend Gordon's writing had made him a wealthy man in the early part of the 20th century, the Great Depression and financial problems had taken their toll and the family was forced to surrender the House to the City of Winnipeg.
In 1939, the University Women’s Club saved the vacant Ralph Connor House from demolition and eventually bought it from the City in 1945. The Club continued its focus on intellectual pursuits and community activity. It has been the most ardent and long-term participant in its preservation.
In 1949, the Club established the Ralph Connor Trust Fund to provide for building maintenance and repairs. The Fund has spent $400,000 since 1981 to maintain and repair the House, including foundation underpinnings and new copper plumbing. But the fund was not designed to cover the scale of work now required to meet present-day fire and safety regulations and other needed functional improvements.
The Friends of Ralph Connor House was established in 2003 as a registered charity and became the official owner of the House with a focus on the care and preservation of the building.
Some of his books, including Black Rock, The Man from Glengarry and Glengarry School Days are still in print.
Journalist and humorist Charles Gordon is his grandson.
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...
novelist, using the Connor pen name while maintaining his status as a Church leader, first in the Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church in Canada
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is the name of a Protestant Christian church, of presbyterian and reformed theology and polity, serving in Canada under this name since 1875, although the United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939...
and later the United
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
churches in Canada. Gordon was also at one time a master at Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
. He sold more than five million copies of his works in his lifetime, and some of his works are still in print.
Gordon was born in Glengarry County, Ontario
Glengarry County, Ontario
thumb|right|Glengarry located within OntarioGlengarry County , an area covering , is a county in the Canadian province of Ontario, and is historically known for its settlement of Scottish Highlanders due to the Highland Clearances.Glengarry was founded in 1792 by Scottish loyalists, mainly from...
, the son of Rev. Daniel Gordon (1822–1910) and Mary Robertson Gordon (d. 1890). His father was a Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a schism known as the "Disruption of 1843"...
Missionary in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. The family moved from Glengarry to Harrington
Zorra, Ontario
Zorra is a township in Oxford County, situated in south-western Ontario, Canada. A predominantly rural municipality, Zorra was formed in 1975 through the amalgamation of East Nissouri, West Zorra and North Oxford townships.-Government:...
, Oxford County, Ontario
Oxford County, Ontario
Oxford County is a regional municipality and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Southern portion of the province. The regional seat is in Woodstock...
when he was a youth. Like many other young men in the area, Gordon went to Toronto to study at University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. He then attended Knox College
Knox College, University of Toronto
Knox College is a postgraduate theological college of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1844 as part of a schism movement in the Church of Scotland following the Disruption...
and graduated with distinction in 1886.
Ministerial career
With a brother and two Knox College classmates he travelled to ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and spent a term of study in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. He was ordained a Presbyterian misinster in 1890. He moved to Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, then still part of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, and he served a large area west of Calgary that today includes the municipalities of Banff
Banff, Alberta
Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise....
and Canmore
Canmore, Alberta
Canmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
. He served in the Rocky Mountains until 1894. The congregation in Canmore is called Ralph Connor Memorial United Church in rembrance of his time there.
He moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where he would spend nearly 40 years as minister of St. Stephen's Presbyterian/United Church, which was a new congregation when he arrived. During these 40 years he also wrote in Kenora, Ontario on Lake of the Woods.
Near the start of the First World War, in 1915 he became Chaplain of the 43rd (Cameron Highlanders) Battalion CEF
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
(see The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Forces.-Formation:As early as 1905 the local Scottish community in Winnipeg, led by the St Andrew's Society, began lobbying the government to raise a Highland regiment...
). In 1916 he was made senior chaplain of Canadian Forces in England with the rank of Major. He then proceeded to France as senior chaplain, 9th Brigade, British Expeditionary Force. He was mentioned in Imperial despatches.
After returning from Europe, he was Moderator
Moderator of the General Assembly
The Moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a presbyterian or reformed church. Kirk Sessions and Presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator....
of the 1921 Presbyterian General Assembly and became a strong advocate for union of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
Churches in Canada. In June 1925, he was on the podium during the final benediction
Benediction
A benediction is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service.-Judaism:...
of the Presbyterian Church General Assembly at Toronto's College Street Church
College Street United Church
College Street United Church is a United Church of Canada church at the corner of College and Bathurst Streets in Toronto, Canada. The large church was built in 1885 as College Street Presbyterian and could hold 1200 worshippers, under founding minister Alexander Gilray , and Robert Balmer Cochrane...
. He encouraged the organist to play Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's Hallelujah Chorus as loudly as possible to drown out the sound of protests from the so-called "Continuing Presbyterians" who had gathered in the front corner of the assembly hall to vote on resuming nearby
Knox Presbyterian Church (Toronto)
Knox Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian church in downtown Toronto, Canada.-History:In 1820 the first Presbyterian congregation in Toronto was formed, and after the donation of land from Jessie Ketchum, built a church on Richmond Street...
later that evening.
Writing career
Gordon became interested in writing during his student days at the University of Toronto. He published his first novel, Black Rock, in 1898. While the book was moderately successful in Canada, his second novel, The Sky Pilot, gained him international attention in 1899 and sold more than 1,000,000 copies. The Sky Pilot, like many of his works, was a frontier adventure with strong themes of morality and justice. He continued to write until his death in 1937. His autobiography, Postscript to Adventure was penned in his final year and published posthumously in 1938.Ralph Connor House
Ralph Connor House is a Canadian, Manitoba and Winnipeg heritage treasure. The home was not only built to accommodate the Gordon's large family, but also served as the St. Stephen's parish office for the Presbyterian minister.From humble parishioners to Hollywood movie stars, the home welcomed people from all over the world, attracted to Reverend Gordon who had gained international acclaim for his good works and stardom as one of the world's best selling novelists of the time.
While Reverend Gordon's writing had made him a wealthy man in the early part of the 20th century, the Great Depression and financial problems had taken their toll and the family was forced to surrender the House to the City of Winnipeg.
In 1939, the University Women’s Club saved the vacant Ralph Connor House from demolition and eventually bought it from the City in 1945. The Club continued its focus on intellectual pursuits and community activity. It has been the most ardent and long-term participant in its preservation.
In 1949, the Club established the Ralph Connor Trust Fund to provide for building maintenance and repairs. The Fund has spent $400,000 since 1981 to maintain and repair the House, including foundation underpinnings and new copper plumbing. But the fund was not designed to cover the scale of work now required to meet present-day fire and safety regulations and other needed functional improvements.
The Friends of Ralph Connor House was established in 2003 as a registered charity and became the official owner of the House with a focus on the care and preservation of the building.
Publications
In 1972, the National Library of Canada released The Works of Ralph Connor which listed some 43 titles as well as three books for which he wrote the introductions. His publications include:- The angel and the star. Toronto, Revell, 1908. 63p.
- The arm of gold. Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1932. 314p.
- Beyond the marshes. Toronto, Westminster, 1898. 36p.
- Black Rock, a tale of the Selkirks. Toronto, Westminster, 1898. 327 p.
- Breaking the record. New York, Revell, 1904. 31p.
- The Prospector. New York, Revell, 1904. 401p.
- The Doctor
- The Man from Glengarry
- Glengarry School Days
Legacy
Gordon United Church, founded in 1956 in Victoria, British Columbia, was named in his honour. Charles Gordon Sr. Public School in Scarborough, Ontario was also named after him. At his death Connor/Gordon left his wife and seven children. Among the latter were Professor King Gordon of Montreal, Mrs. Humphrey Carver of Toronto, Mrs. Arthur B. Brown of Toronto, Lois Gordon of Montreal and Allison and Ruth Gordon of Winnipeg. His extensive personal papers are kept at the University of Winnipeg.Some of his books, including Black Rock, The Man from Glengarry and Glengarry School Days are still in print.
Journalist and humorist Charles Gordon is his grandson.
Further reading
John Lennox, Charles W. Gordon (“Ralph Connor”) and his Works, Toronto: ECW Press, 1989External links
- Glengarry School Days, audio book at Librivox
- The Man From Glengarry, audio book at Librivox
- Ralph Connor Memorial United Church in Canmore, Alberta
- Gordon United Church in Langford, BC
- "Ralph Connor House" in Winnipeg, MB
- UNCG American Publishers' Trade Bindings: Ralph Connor