Walter R. Nursey

Born in England in 1846, Walter Reginald Nursey later made his career in Canada. A biographical sketch from the Manitoba Historical Society says he was educated in England, served in the Royal Navy, worked in India as a civil servant, and came to Canada in 1864. Over the years he was connected with banking, trading, the Hudson’s Bay Company, journalism, and library work.

Nursey is remembered especially as a journalist and librarian, but also as a prolific writer with wide interests. Records of his books show titles on Winnipeg history, mining and regional development, and Canadian historical figures, including The Story of Isaac Brock and Ten Years in Winnipeg.

That mix of practical experience and historical curiosity gives his work an appealing range. Whether he was writing about a city, an iron range, or a national hero, he seems to have been drawn to stories of growth, enterprise, and the making of Canada.