author
Lady Matilda Ridout Edgar
1844–1910
A Toronto-born historian and early feminist, she turned to serious historical writing after raising a large family and became known for vivid books on colonial and Canadian subjects. Her work helped bring women’s voices and perspectives into Canada’s historical record.
1 Audiobook
General Brock
by Lady Matilda Ridout Edgar
About the author
Born in Toronto in 1844, Matilda Ridout Edgar came from a prominent Upper Canadian family and later married lawyer, author, and politician James David Edgar. After his knighthood in 1898, she was widely known as Lady Edgar. Contemporary reference works describe her as both a historian and a feminist, and note that she balanced literary ambitions with the demands of a very large household.
She began publishing historical work in midlife, after years focused largely on family life. Her books included A Colonial Governor in Maryland, Ten Years of Upper Canada in Peace and War, 1805–1815, and General Brock. She also took an active public role in women’s organizations in Canada, including the National Council of Women of Canada and the Young Women’s Christian Association.
Lady Edgar died in London, England, in 1910, on her sixty-sixth birthday. She is remembered for writing accessible, carefully researched history at a time when relatively few Canadian women were recognized in the field.