William J. Eccles

William John Eccles (17 July 1917 – 2 October 1998) was a British-born Canadian historian and academic, specialising in the history of New France.

Early life and education Born in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, England, his family immigrated to Canada in the 1920s. He grew up in Montréal, Québec. He studied at McGill University. Following graduation, he did post-graduate studies at McGill under historian Edward Robert Adair. He later dedicated his book Canada under Louis XIV to Adair.

During World War II, he served overseas with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He then did further graduate study at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Academic career Faculty positions Upon his return from France, Eccles joined the faculty at the University of Manitoba. He taught there for four years, from 1953 to 1957, then moved to the University of Alberta, where he taught from 1957 to 1963. In 1963, he was appointed to a professorship at the University of Toronto, where he taught for 20 years.

Analysis of the history of New France

Revisionist approach and critique of Francis Parkman Eccles is credited with leading a revival of interest in the history of New France amongst anglophone Canadian historians, and also influencing francophone historians who were re-examining their own understandings of their history. He took a revisionist approach to the image of French Canada which had developed in the 19th century. In another book, Eccles wrote: "Francis Parkman's epic work La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West (Boston, 1869) is doubtless a great literary work, but, as history, it is, to say the least, of dubious merit." Eccles was later characterised as a "fearsome iconoclast" in his historical writings.

His papers are located in the archives of McMaster University.

Awards His book Frontenac: The Courtier Governor received the 1959 Award of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association.

In 1979, the Royal Society of Canada awarded him the J. B. Tyrrell Historical Medal for his contributions to the history of Canada even though he had refused to allow his name to stand for election to the Royal Society.

He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Genoa, Italy.