Sir Gilbert Parker, a renowned Canadian novelist, short-story writer, and poet, rose from humble beginnings in the Canadian backwoods to occupy prominent seats in the British Empire. Born on November 23, 1862, in Camden East, Addington, Ontario, Parker was the son of Royal Army Captain J. Parker and his wife.
Parker's early life took him to Ottawa and Toronto, where he attended school and matriculated at Trinity University. In 1886, he moved to Australia, serving as an associate editor on the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. His travels throughout the Pacific and subsequent return to Canada inspired his extensive journeys through northern Canada.
Parker was a contemporary of Sir Charles G.D. Roberts, a poet and short-story writer who expressed the new nationalism that resulted from the confederation of Britain's North American provinces into Canada in 1867. Roberts' work inspired a nationalist school of Canadian poets in the late 19th century.
Parker's works typically dealt with Canadian history and later with England and the British Empire. He made his literary reputation with romantic novels and short stories about Canada, as well as historical novels such as "The Seats of the Mighty" (1896),which was adapted into a film in 1914.
Parker's finest works deal with French-Canadian life and history, such as "Pierre and His People" (1892),which was dramatized on Broadway and filmed in 1914 and 1942. Though he wrote about England and the Empire, starting with "The Battle of the Strong" in 1898, he is still remembered for his Canadian stories due to their high quality, fine descriptions, and gripping drama.
In 1895, Parker married a wealthy American heiress from the Van Tine family of New York. His politics were strongly imperial, and he was elected to Parliament as a Conservative member for Gravesend on the Unionist ticket in 1900. Parker was knighted in 1902 and served a total of 18 years in Parliament, being re-elected in 1906 and 1910.
The quality of his literary output suffered from his devotion to politics, but he was influential in investing the Imperialist movement with enthusiasm. Parker cracked the top 10 best-sellers list in the U.S. after becoming an M.P., with "The Weavers" ranking #2 in 1907 and #10 in 1908, and "The Judgement House" making it to #7 in 1913.
Parker's contemporaries on the list included Winston Churchill, Edna Ferber, and Booth Tarkington. Sir Gilbert Parker died of a heart attack on September 6, 1932, in London, Ontario, his native Canada.
