Reflections: A treasured Stratford novel

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In the continuing series, Treasures from Stratford-Perth Archives, we feature this week a very special copy of the novel, Committed to His Charge, by local authors Robina and Kathleen Lizars. Together, they wrote three books.

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The best known of them is In the Days of the Canada Company: The Story of the Settlement of the Huron Tract and a View of the Social Life of the Period 1825-1850, published in 1896. In a 1944 article in the London Free Press, it was reported that Col. W. W. Macvicar had known the Lizars sisters when they were residing in Stratford. According to Mr. Macvicar: “They lived in the Albion Hotel and he often wondered what they were doing all the time, as they seemed busy all day up in their room. He was of the opinion that they were writing a book. … Mr. Macvicar could not fix the date but was (himself) inclined to believe that 1896 would correspond.” This book was very well received, with the Goderich Signal reporting: “If you have not read this book get a copy at once, don’t borrow, buy it, for it is a book which you will always like to have up on your shelf ready to take down and discuss with your friends. … Heavy tribute has been laid upon these reminiscences of early settlers, family diaries, portraits, and correspondence, old records, pamphlets and magazines, all of which, collected as they must have been with amazing diligence and zeal, have been deftly woven in the tale that is told.” A year later the sisters published Humours of ’37, Grave, Gay and Grim: Rebellion Times in the Canadas.

An incredibly special copy of their only novel, Committed to His Charge, is this week’s treasure. It is a story that, at its heart, is about love. Published in 1900, it was reviewed by a number of newspapers, magazines and journals. The praise was great, with the Toronto Globe stating: “It has abundant humour and fine character studies, while the story element is vivid and forcible.” Most reviews focused on their excellent artistic skill in character development, with one reviewer going as far as to compare them to Jane Austen.

The Stratford Herald, operated by William Dingman, had neglected to review the novel by the famous Stratford sisters. In an effort to prompt him to do so, the copy in the archives’ collection was presented to him by the sisters with a letter now glued to the front page. It reads: “May 24, 1901, Dear W. Dingman, As you have not sent us a review of ‘Committed,’ I conclude that you have not received a copy from the Canadian publishers. If you will accept one of the English edition, I hope you will keep the accompanying volume. Enclosed with it are some sheets from reviews sent us from time to time, which you may be interested to see as a record of opinions expressed to us your fellow citizens. I am pleased to say that the good class journals have been very nice to us. I should like you to see what the Baltimore Sun says, but I think I must have sent the review back to the publisher. If we find favour in your eyes, send me three or four copies of what you say. If you don’t happen to like us, one copy will be enough – to paste in my book! Yours ever truly, K. M. Lizars.” On the last page of the novel, Kathleen had pasted more than a dozen reviews. The copy supplied to Dingman was generously donated to the archives many years later by his family.

Making this book even more special is that William Dingman speculated as to who the characters might be based upon. Prominent local citizens’ names paired with a character in the book are written in pencil on the last page. One character, Mrs. Stuart, was thought to be Robina herself.

If you would like to read a copy of the book, you can download it for free from archive.org. In the Days of the Canada Company is available to download from digitalarchive.tpl.ca.

The Stratford-Perth Archives is open for in-person research by appointment from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For details, please contact us at 519-271-0531 ext. 259 or archives@perthcounty.ca.