(13 Sept. 1860-31 Oct. 1937), widely known under his pen name of Ralph Connor, clergyman and author. (Charles W. Gordon, C. W. Gordon, Ralph Connor) Born at St. Elmo, GC. Parents: Rev. Daniel Gordon and his wife Mary Robertson (Mrs Mary Gordon, of this dictionary). Charles W. Gordon was named after a Glengarrian, Charles Mcdonald, a church elder. Young Charles left GC at 10 years old when his parents moved to Oxford County, Ont. This was about five years after his aunt Margaret Murray Robertson published her novel about the Glengarry settlers, Shenac’s Work at Home (1866). Education: the log school at Athol, near his father’s manse, made famous as the school in Glengarry School Days, local schools in Western Ontario, University of Toronto (B.A., 1883), University of Edinburgh. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister, 1890. There then followed several years, highly influential in his life and ideas, during which he served as missionary to lumbermen and miners in the Canadian Rockies. From 1894 till the end of his life, he was minister of St. Stephen’s Church, Winnipeg. In WWI he served as chaplain in the Canadian Army. He bore, with remarkable resilience, and something almost like indifference, the discovery that his lawyer, who was killed in the War, had wasted the fortune Connor had accumulated through his writings.

     As Ralph Connor, Gordon was the author of many novels, and had a vast readership, not just in Canada but in the United States. In the 1920s and 1930s, however, his reputation was in decline and his readership was failing. Three of his novels are set in GC, The Man from Glengarry (1901), Glengarry School Days (1902) and Torches through the Bush (1934). The first two have long remained among the best-known and most-popular Canadian novels. The third, published during the waning of his reputation, has always been relatively little known, though it contains much vivid writing. The Girl from Glengarry (1933), despite its title, has little GC material. There are brief GC references in Black Rock (1898) and Corporal Cameron (1912). Alexander Macdonell (Collachie), GC’s representative in the House of Assembly, appears as a character in Ralph Connor’s novel about the War of 1812, The Runner: a Romance of the Niagaras (1929), which also has a few other GC references. There are descriptions of the GC of his youth in his autobiography, Postscript to Adventure (1938). The filming of Connor’s first two GC novels in the early 1920s attracted much interest in the GC area among early filmgoers, but, unfortunately, the filming was not done in GC.

     Active in social causes, he was a prominent figure to a public more inclined to identify and designate him by the name of Ralph Connor than that of the Rev. Charles W. Gordon. He criticized Regulation 17, and was a negotiator in labour disputes. He was elected moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1921, and played a prominent role in forming the United Church of Canada in 1925.

     Charles W. Gordon revisited GC in 1924 and in 1936. (Cornwall Freeholder and Cornwall Standard 11 Dec. 1924, Standard Freeholder 13 Nov. 1936) In connection with the 1924 visit he is quoted as saying, “I visited the County of Glengarry the other day, after 54 years’ absence.” (Cornwall Freeholder 25 Dec. 1924) The story that he stayed at the Moose Head Inn, South Lancaster, when he was writing or researching the GC novels, must be dismissed as just one more of the GC myths. His vivid, detailed, and essentially accurate descriptions of GC life were based primarily on his recollections of childhood experiences. However, during his many years in Winnipeg he was in contact with numerous Glengarrians who were Winnipeg residents or visitors to the city. If he did not revisit GC, then GC came to visit him.

     For Connor’s place in a succession of GC-area authors beginning with James Drummond see Pierre Cholet.

     Charles W. Gordon died in Winnipeg. For more than a third of a century he had been the most famous of all living Glengarrians. The London Times obituary, which was a fine tribute to him, says he “was known wherever the English language is read.” The obituary mentions both Glengarry School Days and The Man from Glengarry, and says of GC that “Gaelic is still spoken there and it is declared to have a firmer hold in those parts than in its original home in Scotland.” He was married in 1899 to Helen Skinner King. (seven children, including J. King Gordon) Charles W. Gordon received the C.M.G. in 1935. His friends included British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, who spent a holiday with him at Gordon’s Lake of the Woods summer home. For MacDonald, see also E. R. Peacock in this dictionary. The Lake of the Woods home was later owned by the historian A.R.M. Lower.

     The name “Man from Glengarry,” from Connor’s novel, has been applied as a term of praise to various Glengarrians including Fr C.H. Gauthier. Also, Valentine Chisholm was thought to resemble the hero of the novel. (Villeneuve, 62; Butternuts and Maple Sugar 230) An Ottawa Journal article (repr. Standard Freeholder 29 Sept.1949) on W. J. Major, MP, termed him the “New Man from Glengarry.”

     C.W. Gordon’s son, J. King Gordon (6 Dec. 1900-24 Feb. 1989), was through many years a well-known Canadian public figure. He was a Rhodes Scholar, a United Church minister, one of the founders of the CCF, editor of the prominent U. S. journal the Nation (New York), a United Nations official, and an author and publicist. He spoke at a United Church peace rally at Maxville in 1936. (Standard Freeholder 13 Nov. 1936) In 1960 he opened the Glengarry Highland Games at Maxville. His son Charles became a journalist well known through his column in Maclean’s, and J. King Gordon’s daughter Alison continued the “Connor” family tradition of authorship.

Standard Freeholder, 1, 3 & 24 Nov. 1937, Glengarry News 5 Nov. 1937 * London Times 1 Nov. 1937 (about 18 column inches); the issue 29 Oct. had a note on his declining health) * his Postscript to Adventure * his life in DNB, MDict, Hurtig (portrait), and ODict * MacGillivray & Ross: esp. 79-94, 685, but see also index * much further material relating to Connor is listed in Bibliography of Glengarry (see index) *obituary of his wife, GN 23 March 1961 * Morgan (1898), useful for Connor’s reputation even at this early date, also Morgan (1912) * Keith Wilson, Charles William Gordon (1981) * H.L. Adams, “The Career of Ralph Connor,” Maclean’s (April 1913), & B. Paterson, “Ralph Connor and His Million Dollar Sermons,” Maclean’s (15 Nov. 1953) * life of his father-in-law, Rev. John Mark King, in Dictionary of Canadian Biography Vol. XII * there are full lists of Connor’s novels in various sources including Watters * A.R.M. Lower, My First Seventy-Five Years (1967) 290 * Mary Vipond, “Best Sellers in English Canada,” Journal of Canadian Fiction (article in two parts, 1979, 1986), on the Connor novels as best sellers

     Glengarry News 7 June 1901, has been preparing the manuscript of Man from Glengarry for the press * anon. verses in praise of Connor’s writings on GC, Cornwall Freeholder 31 Jan. 1908 * GN 11 Sept. 1914, has been invited to attend ceremonies of 50th anniversary of the Gordon Church, St. Elmo * journalist Peter McArthur’s interview with Ralph Connor, on WWI, printed as advert., Ottawa Farm Journal 30 April 1918 * writes to Rev. G. Watt Smith with recollections of GC, CF 4 Aug. 1921 * Mitch Hepburn (not yet Ont. premier) speaking at Alexandria mentions he read Man from Glengarry in his boyhood, CF 9 May 1931 * Connor is guest of British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald at 10 Downing Street, Standard Freeholder 14 Dec. 1932 * GN 2 Dec. 1927, recital from the Sky Pilot, at Maxville, by Montreal clergyman * SFH 27 Oct. 1937, GN 29 Oct. 1937, is seriously ill in Winnipeg * daughter attends church service at St. Elmo, SFH 20 April 1938 * editorial, SFH 19 Feb. 1948, on Ralph Connor and purchase of his Winnipeg home by the Women’s University Club of Winnipeg * Glengarry News 15 Oct. 1959, historical plaque unveiled at St. Elmo (earlier editorial & letter on plaque, SFH 25 Feb. 1948) * his MSS given to Univ. of Manitoba, GN 28 Aug. 1969

     FILMS: Glengarry News 24 March 1922, Man from Glengarry and Glengarry School Days to be filmed * Cornwall Freeholder (much detail) & Cornwall Standard both19 Oct. 1922, showing of film of Man from Glengarry in Cornwall * CF 26 Oct. 1922, film of Man from Glengarry to be shown at Martintown * advert. for film of Man from Glengarry in CF & CS both 18 Oct. 1923 * editorial notice of film Glengarry School Days, in CS 15 Nov. 1923 (with advert.) * GN 10 Nov. 1922, film of Man from Glengarry shown in Alexandria

     J. King Gordon: obituary Globe and Mail, 25 Feb. 1989 (two notices) * King Gordon’s family: “Citizen Gordon’s Bloodlines,” Quill & Quire (April 1994), on four generations of the “Ralph Connor” family; Charles Gordon, “Men of Glengarry…,” Ottawa Citizen 3 April 1995 (full page); Glengarry News 8 Nov. 1995 on visit of Charles Gordon and his son John to Glengarry Historical Society (photo); J. M. Bumsted, Dictionary of Manitoba Biography (1999) 93-94

APPENDIX Over the years a great many people have been identified as the originals of characters in The Man from Glengarry and Glengarry School Days. Edward Cox in his Dunvegan diary of 1904 mentioned that he had heard “a great deal about some of the characters” in The Man from Glengarry. The search for the Connor originals is, of course, a tribute to the immense popularity of the novels. Some people have viewed these identifications sceptically. They have noticed the involvement of family pride and the failure to agree on who the originals of some characters were. All of this is fair enough, though it must be noted that Connor, who represents the geography and religious history of the Maxville-St. Elmo area of his time with such minute fidelity to detail, might reasonably be expected to be equally precise in the representation of some of his characters. Also, it is fully agreed that the Rev. Alexander Murray and Mrs Murray in the novels are based on the author’s own parents, Mr and Mrs Daniel Gordon. Their son, Hugh Murray, is, presumably, Connor himself as a child. For other originals of the characters, see the following entries in the present dictionary:

• Gunn, Alexander
• Jim, YANKEE (YANKEE Jim)
• Mcdonald, Allan (Allan the Cooper)
• Mcdonald, Charles
• McLaurin, Duncan
• MacLean, Mrs Edith (for Margaret Aird)
• MacRae, Allan Gorrach
• McRae, Donald Alexander
• Marsell, A.
• Munro, Murdoch
• Stait, W. G. F.
• Urquhart, Alexander

It is interesting to speculate on whether the accomplished horseman Alphonse le Roque, with his stylish horses, who makes an impressive cameo appearance in Chapter XIV of Glengarry School Days, can be connected, by way of the name at least, with two businessman who were prominent enough at Athol to be listed in Lovell’s 1857 Canada Directory, Joseph (Joe) Larocque, a pearl ash manufacturer, and Charles Larue, a miller. </fs>     The following is a random list of notices variously assembled of other identifications of originals in the novels.

     Angus R. Macdonell, a high school teacher from Alexandria, meets, while attending a conference, a family connection of Bella Farquhar, who is mentioned in Man from Glengarry. (Glengarry News 2 April 1964) (It is not clear what passage in Connor is being noticed.)

     An original of the name Hugh Murray? See Hugh Murray this dictionary.

     Clarence John MacEwan, of Reno, Nev., is descended from another John MacEwan who appears in Man from Glengarry and was an early settler in the 17th Concession of Indian Lands. (Glengarry News 25 Feb. 1938) (It is not clear what passage in Connor is being noticed.)

     Mrs Alex E. Dewar (née McDonald) had relatives who appeared in Man from Glengarry and Glengarry School Days. (Trails Ploughed Over, 1995, a history of Leduc, Alberta, 463)

     No references have been found to originals of characters in Torches through the Bush except the clergyman and his wife, who are, again, Connor’s own parents who appear in the two earlier novels.

NOTES TO PRECEDING APPENDIX: “minute fidelity”: for this, see Royce MacGillivray, “Novelists and the Glengarry Pioneer, ” Ontario History 65:2 (June 1973) and MacGillivray & Ross 83-93 * “two businessmen”: Lovell 1857 328; Maxville (1967) 36