Mazo De La Roche How Some Historical Sleuthing Uncovered a Famous Author’S Orillia Connection
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Mazo de la Roche How some historical sleuthing uncovered a famous author’s Orillia connection BY TRISH CROWE-GRANDE HEN IT comes to Canadian Wliterary icons, Orillia is syn- onymous with Stephen Leacock, his summer home on Brewery Bay and his most well-known novel, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town. However, there is another Canadian writer who achieved widespread literary fame and had an Orillia connection. That writer is Mazo de la Roche. Mazo de la Roche: Enjoyed popularity on a par with Stephen Leacock. De la Roche was one of the most prolific writers of her day, penning 15. This connection, however, was 23 novels, more than 50 short stories not discovered until more than 40 and 13 plays from the 1920s to the years after her death. 1950s. Her most popular creations That’s when Barrie writer Heather were the Jalna series of novels, which Kirk, who had extensively researched sold about 10 million copies in 193 Roche was the only child of Alberta de la Roche’s life, released her 2006 English-language editions and 92 Louise Lundy and William R. Roche. biography Mazo de la Roche: Rich and foreign-language editions. The only The family moved frequently due to Famous Writer. Kirk was the first de la other female writer of Mazo’s time, her mother’s chronic health issues and Roche biographer to document the living in Canada, who enjoyed com- her father’s job as a travelling sales- author’s Orillia connection through parable success was Lucy Maud Mont- man. While she spent much of her her research at the Simcoe County gomery, author of the Anne of Green life in the Toronto area, Mazo de la Archives, the Orillia Museum of Art Gables series. The only male writer Roche — as she was known later in & History (OMAH) and the Orillia in Canada of comparable stature was life to reflect her French ancestry — Public Library. Two years later, as re- Leacock himself. spent four years of her childhood in ported in The Packet and Times, Kirk Born in Newmarket, Ontario, on Orillia, a substantial amount of time came to Orillia as a guest of OMAH’s Jan. 15, 1871, Mazo “Maisie” Louise for a child between the ages of 9 and History Committee to share her re- search on de la Roche and her family’s to date by Kirk and Jenkins, as well as that, during Daniel Lundy’s time as Orillia connections. to revisit de la Roche’s life, specifi- foreman, the factory flourished. Before she wrote the 2006 biogra- cally her time in Orillia and how her Concurrently, Lundy’s son-in- phy, Kirk had written three articles world-famous Jalna series, about the law, William Roche, was moving in on de la Roche but had not once fictional Whiteoak family who lived between jobs and living alone in To- during her research seen any men- in southern Ontario between 1854 ronto. This triggered Kirk to question tion of the novelist’s Orillia ties. Nor and 1954, might have subtly reflected where de la Roche and her mom were had Kirk encountered any references her time in Orillia. living during this time. In the past, to Orillia in three biographies of de Kirk’s research in various archives de la Roche had visited her maternal la Roche and in the novelist’s own led her to census and tax records that grandparents regularly as they were autobiography, Ringing the Changes. verified that de la Roche’s maternal a welcoming couple and provided So, after Kirk’s two books about de grandparents, Daniel and Louise Lun- a comfortable place to live. In later la Roche were published in 2006 and dy, had lived in Orillia for four years years, the author reflected on this 2007, she met with OMAH volunteer from 1888 to 1894 when de la Roche time warmly. So it was in 1888 that Donald Jenkins to plug some gaps and would have been between 9 and 15 Alberta Lundy Roche and her daugh- pinpoint where de la Roche had actu- years of age. After the Lundys eldest ter first moved up to Orillia, staying ally lived. Kirk outlined her research son Frank was killed in a workplace with the Lundys, who lived at 40 in a 2008 article Mazo in Orillia: A accident in Newmarket, the family Coldwater Road (a copy of the Deed Long and Winding Detective Story for moved to Orillia where Lundy was dated 1886 indicates Lot 3 north- Literary Historians. able to secure the general superinten- east corner of Albert and Coldwater, Despite de la Roche’s decision to dent position of a new factory being with a duplex structure owned by remain mum on her Orillia ties, the built in the area — The Longford the Ironsides). The Lundys provided burgeoning city must have left an im- Manufacturing Co. — the Thompson young Mazo and her mother with the pact on her. In 2018, Esmée Rees (de brothers’ wooden ware factory. The emotional and financial security they la Roche’s adopted daughter) came to business, which manufactured pails, needed at this time. meet with OMAH Executive Direc- wooden ware and barrels, was known Located in the OMAH research tor Ninette Gordy to donate a collec- locally as the Pail Factory. It was file is a copy from the Simcoe County tion of her mother’s original publica- located near the waterfront on Front Archives (entry #913 in the Orillia tions, including the Jalna series as well Street at the bottom of Coldwater Public School records) which indi- as a few other personal mementos. Road, as listed in the Orillia Industry cates on August 29, 1892, Mazo, age This donation has been documented Archives (1886-1901). 13 years, and the daughter of Wil- and included in OMAH’s archive. Reports unearthed from the Orillia liam living on Coldwater Street, was In light of this donation, it’s appro- Times (1890) by Jenkins regarding registered to attend a private school. A priate to review all the research done the Thomson brothers’ factory shows photocopy of an Orillia Daily Times article dated April 24, 1889, states that a Miss Lafferty opened a private school opposite the English Church School house on 14 Coldwater Road West, which now is the office of Jill Dunlop, the local MPP. In her autobiography, de la Roche stated she attended a “small private day school kept by a gentle and charming Irish woman,” who was believed to be Miss Lafferty. Not only did young Mazo have the Lundy connection in Orillia, she also had a connection with the Clements. When reflecting on de la Roche’s life, her close relationship to Caro- line Clement, her first cousin (once removed), must be noted. Caroline grew up with Mazo as she too lived with the Lundys during a turbulent childhood that saw her father James dealing with unsteady employment in Dakota Territory where the family lived. Caroline’s mother, Martha, was the younger sister of Mazo’s grandmother and, due to financial A colour sketch of a woman horse-jumping signed by de la Roche. difficulty, had dropped off Caroline in Orillia prior to returning to her hus- interest in acting and writing based last.” Two weeks later, an article titled band in the United States. The two on her joy of imagining. Together High School Report, in the Orillia young girls were raised as sisters by with Caroline, she would write and Times of April 19, 1894, pinpoints the Lundys, who provided a steadying act out plays for their family and start- “M. Roche” as being in “Form C” of influence. ed a newspaper, each copy written out the “Orillia High School”. In what Mazo and Caroline embarked on a and sold to family members for two is believed to be an average stand- lifelong friendship in 1886. In 1889, cents a copy. It was the beginning of ing: (a number which was based on Caroline’s parents and brother eventu- Mazo’s writing career with Caroline the weekly examinations for three ally moved to Orillia from the United close by her side. months ending March 25) an “51%” States and Caroline joined her family Mazo de la Roche and her moth- average makes it appear that de la to live a few blocks from the Lundys. er lived with the Lundys from 1888 Roche was barely scraping by. With James Clement’s experience as a (while her father was living alone in Heather Kirk acknowledges Jenkins carpenter, Grandpa Lundy got him a Toronto) to 1890 (when she and her in her article Mazo in Orillia: A Long job at the Pail Factory. parents moved briefly to Galt) and and Winding Detective Story for Lit- During the summers, the family from 1892 to 1894, when at the time erary Historians, for his sourcing and made one-day excursions by ferry the Lundys moved from Orillia back interpretation of 19th- century tax from Orillia to Strawberry Island in to Toronto. Over those four years, records to determine the modern ad- Lake Simcoe where Mazo and her de la Roche’s father would show up dresses of where de la Roche and her cousin would enjoy making their periodically in between multiple sales extended family, the Lundys and the own adventures. During the rest of jobs. Clements, lived. It appears that after the year, Mazo and Caroline attended Donald Jenkins, a retired lawyer in time spent at the Coldwater residence, the little private school run by a Miss 2008 and an OMAH volunteer at the the Lundys lived at today’s 29 Albert Cecile Lafferty, later Mrs.