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John Reade

1837 – 1919

Canadian writer

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About John Reade

Lived 1837 – 1919 (aged 81). John Reade was a Canadian journalist, poet, literary critic and writer.

John Reade (November 13, 1837 – March 26, 1919) was an Irish-born Canadian journalist, essayist, and poet once considered "the grand old man of Canadian letters." He is best known as the literary editor of the Montreal Gazette, a position he held for almost 50 years.

Life John Reade was born in Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland, in 1837, the son of Frances Smyth and Joseph Reade. He was educated at Portora School, Enniskillen, and Queen's College, Belfast.

Eight of Reade's poems were published in the 1864 anthology, Selections from Canadian Poets. His own book, Merlin's Prophecy and Other Poems (a book "steeped in Victorian Romanticism"), appeared in 1870.

Recognition Reade's papers are at the McCord Museum of Canadian History in Montreal. Reade was appointed a charter Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1882, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature of Great Britain in 1896.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa in 1909. George Murray, Poems.. Montreal: E.G. O'Connor, 1912.

Fonds Reade's papers are at the McCord Museum of Canadian History in Montreal.

Except where noted, bibliographic information courtesy Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

People in John Reade's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Reade's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Reade?

Canadian writer

When was John Reade born?

John Reade was born on 13 November 1837 in Ballyshannon.

When did John Reade die?

John Reade died on 26 March 1919 in Montreal.

What was John Reade's occupation?

John Reade was a journalist, poet, literary critic and writer.

What nationality was John Reade?

John Reade was Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Reade

· Wikidata: Q6254384

· DBpedia: John Reade

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Reade. https://biography.guide/john-reade/

MLA: "John Reade." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-reade/.

Chicago: "John Reade." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-reade/.

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