About Jean McIlwraith
Lived 1858 – 1938 (aged 79). Jean McIlwraith was a Canadian writer and novelist.
Jean Newton McIlwraith (December 28, 1858 – November 17, 1938) was a Canadian novelist and biographer. Her works include children's books, 1 opera, and historical romances, such as The Curious Career of Roderick Campbell, A Diana of Quebec (1912), and Kinsmen at War (1927).
Biography McIlwraith was born in 1858 in Hamilton, Canada West. Her parents were Mary Park and Thomas McIlwraith, a noted ornithologist. She attended the Wesleyan Ladies College and studied modern literature through a correspondence program with Queen Margaret College of the University of Glasgow. From 1902 to 1919 she worked in New York City for publishing companies and achieved the position of head reader at Doubleday, Page and Co. In 1919 she returned to Canada to devote her time to writing. She suffered from arteriosclerosis and died from pneumonia in Burlington, Ontario in 1938.
Works McIlwraith published one opera and several books in the genre of romance and historical fiction. She also published numerous short stories which appeared in magazines such as Harper's, Atlantic Monthly and Cornhill Magazine.
Ptarmigan, 1895 (comic opera, co-authored with John Aldous). The Making of Mary, 1895 (pseud. Jean Forsyth). The Span o' Life: a Tale of Louisburg and Quebec, 1899 Canada, 1900. The Curious Case or Roderick Campbell, 1901. A Diana of Quebec, 1912. A fictional account of the romantic triangle, and relationships, between Captain Robert Mathews, Miss Mary Simpson, and Horatio Nelson. Kinsmen at War, 1927.
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Important facts
People in Jean McIlwraith's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Jean McIlwraith?
Canadian novelist and biographer
When was Jean McIlwraith born?
Jean McIlwraith was born on 28 December 1858 in Hamilton.
When did Jean McIlwraith die?
Jean McIlwraith died on 17 November 1938 in Burlington.
What was Jean McIlwraith's occupation?
Jean McIlwraith was a writer and novelist.
What nationality was Jean McIlwraith?
Jean McIlwraith was Canadian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jean McIlwraith. https://biography.guide/jean-mcilwraith/
MLA: "Jean McIlwraith." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jean-mcilwraith/.
Chicago: "Jean McIlwraith." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jean-mcilwraith/.
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