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Archibald McKellar MacMechan (1862-1933)

Our thanks to Pete Landry for the following information. See Pete's marvelous Nova Scotia History website www.blupete.com

MacMechan, born in Kitchener, Ontario, obtained his doctorate from Johns Hopkins and accepted a position at Dalhousie University at Halifax in the department of English Language and Literature, and continued on in that capacity up to shortly before his death. He was the president of the Nova Scotia Historical Society 1907-10. (See NSHS., Vol. #22, p. xxix.)

Nova Scotia: General History, 1713-1775 (Toronto: Publishers' Association of Canada, 1913-14).
- This is a volume in the 23 volume series Canada and Its Provinces.

Nova Scotia: General History, 1775-1867 (Toronto: Publishers' Association of Canada, 1913-14).
- This is a volume in the Canada and Its Provinces series.

Nova Scotia: Political History, 1867-1912 (Toronto: Publishers' Association of Canada, 1913-14).
- This is a volume in the Canada and Its Provinces series.

A Calendar of Two Letter-books and One Commission-book in the Possession of the Government of Nova Scotia, 1713-41; MacMechan, ed.; (Halifax: Herald Printing House, 1900).
Original Minutes of His Majesty's Council at Annapolis Royal, 1720-1739; MacMechan, ed.; (Halifax: McAlpine, 1908).

Three Sea Songs; Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 1); "Published for the author by H. H. Marshall at his shop over against the Province House in Halifax."; a 10 p. pamphlet.

The Ballad of "The Rover', The Ballad of "The Tribune", and Off Coronel.

The Nova Scotia-ness of Nova Scotia; Nova Scotia Chap-Books, No. 2, 1921; a 13 p. pamphlet.

Twelve Profitable Sonnets; Nova Scotia Chap-Books, No. 14, 1920; a 14 p. pamphlet.

The Memorial Tower; Nova Scotia Chap-Books, No. 4, 1922; a 13 p. pamphlet.

Province House; Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 2, 1927) "Published for the author by Royal Print & Litho at Halifax"; a 9 p. pamphlet.
The Winning of Popular Government.
- This is volume #27 in the 32 volume series Chronicles of Canada, Wrong, Ed.

Storied Halifax; Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 3, 1922) "Published for the author by T. C. Allen & Co. at Halifax"; a 9 p. pamphlet.

The Orchards of Ultima Thule; Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 5, n.d.)
- "Published for the author by H. H. Marshall at his shop over against the Province House in Halifax (Nova Print)"; a 13 p. pamphlet.

The Log of a Halifax Privateer; Nova Scotia Chap-Books (No. 6, 1920).
- "Published for the author by T. C. Allen & Co. at Halifax."; a 21 p. pamphlet.

Old Province Tales (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1924).
- Witherspoon's journal, the sinking of the Tribune, the Shannon and the Chesapeake at Halifax, violence on the Saladine, the Lennie and the Caswell, the Privateers, etc.

The Book of the Ultima Thule (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1927)
- Vignettes of Nova Scotia scenes with touches of historical background; mostly, it would appear, about the French and the Indians in early Nova Scotia.

Sagas of the Sea (London: Dent & Sons, 1929).
- Ensign Prenties and the ship wreak of the St. Lawrence [1780]; Jordon the Pirate and the Three Sisters [1809]; The Sack of Lunenburg [1782]; The Teazer Light [1813]; H.M.S. Atalante [1813]; The Schooner Industry [1868]; Captain MacArthur and the Milton [1879]; Able Seaman Rufus Parks and the Hilda Maude [1891]; and The Grilse [1916].)

The Centenary of Haliburton's "Nova Scotia"; (Halifax: by Author, 1930).

The Halifax Disaster (Explosion) (McGraw-Hill, 1978).
- This is the official history written by MacMechan; the authorities set him to the task and he actually had an office, "Halifax Disaster Record Office" and MacMechan was charged with gathering up all the records. At the conclusion of his work, as the record gatherer and preserver, MacMechan wrote his account, a work, "specially congenial -- history at its sources." The book itself is relatively recent and is set with MacMechan's history together with documents and pictures compiled and edited by Graham Metson.

Red Snow on Grand Pre (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1931).
- Noble's force at Grand Pre from the French point of view; also about Casteel and Captain William Pote.

Late Harvest (Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1934).
- Sea Songs and Sonnets, including ballads about the Rover and the Tribune.

Tales of the Sea (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1947).
- Foreword by Thomas H. Raddall; the Rover, the Saladin Pirates, the Teazer, etc.

Archibald MacMechan: Canadian Man of Letters; bio. by Janet E. Baker; contains an extensive bibliography of MacMechan's work (Lockport, Nova Scotia: Roseway Publishing, 2000).

NOTE: Our thanks to Pete Landry for the proceeding information. See Pete's marvelous Nova Scotia History website www.blupete.com

Archibald MacMechan: Canadian Man of Letters

by Janet E. Baker

Archibald MacMechan, Dalhousie professor of English and one of the earliest defenders of Canadian literature is also remembered as a chronicler of Nova Scotia's seafaring past.

ISBN 1-896496-24-5

The Ballad of the Rover
Come all young jolly sailor lads who love the cannon's roar,
Your good ship on the morning wave, your lass and glass ashore.
How Nova Scotia's sons can fight you presently shall hear,
of gallant Captain Godfrey and the Rover privateer.
She was a brig of Liverpool, of just a hundred tons.
She had a crew of fifty-five and mounted fourteen guns.
When south against King George's foes she first began to steer,
a smarter craft ne'er floated than the Rover privateer.
Five months our luck held out up and down the Spanish Main;
and many's a prize we overhauled and sent to port again;
until the Spaniards laid their plans with us to interfere,
and stop the merry cruising of the Rover privateer.
The year was eighteen hundred and September tenth the day,
as off Cape Blanco in a calm all motionless we lay,
when the schooner Santa Rita and three gunboats did appear,
asweeping down to finish off the Rover privateer.
With muskets and with pistols we engaged them as they came,
'till they closed in port and starboard to play the boarding game,
then we manned the sweeps, and spun her round without a thought of fear,
and raked the Santa Ritta from the Rover privateer.
At once we spun her back again; the gunboats were too close;
but our gunners they were ready, and they gave the Dons their dose.
They kept their distance after that and soon away did sheer,
and left the Santa Ritta to the Rover privateer.
We fought her for three glasses and then we went aboard,
our gallant captain heading us with pistol and with sword;
it did not take us very long her bloody decks to clear,
and down came the Spanish colours to the Rover privateer.
We brought our prizes safe to port - we never lost a man;
There never was a luckier cruise since cruising first began.
We fought and beat four Spaniards - now did you ever hear,
the like of Captain Godfrey and the Rover privateer?

by Archibald MacMechan

Archibald MacMechan: Nova Scotia Creative Writers Collection

... Mr. Archibald McKellar MacMechan ... had been a professor of English Literature at Dalhousie College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. During his 42 years of dedicated service, between 1890 and 1932, he helped promote a far more profound interest in the literature and language of our country ...
Community Foundation North Okanagan
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