Thomas Head Raddall
Encyclopedia
Thomas Head Raddall, OC
, FRSC
(13 November 1903–1 April 1994) was a Canadian
writer of history and historical fiction.
, England
in 1903, Raddall was the son of British army officer Thomas Head Raddall and Ellen (née Gifford) Raddall. In 1913, he and his family moved to Nova Scotia
, where his father had assumed a training position with the Canadian Militia
. When World War I
began, the elder Raddall joined the war effort. He was killed in action in August 1918 at Amiens when Thomas was still a youth.
In Halifax
, Raddall attended Chebucto School until 6 December 1917, when the school was converted into a temporary morgue in the wake of the Halifax Explosion
. The Raddall family survived the explosion, and Raddall wrote about his experiences in his memoirs, In My Time.
Raddall's first job was as a wireless operator on seagoing ships (including the famous cable ship CS Mackay-Bennett), and at isolated wireless posts such as Sable Island
. He later took a job as a clerk at a pulp and paper mill in Liverpool
, Nova Scotia, where he began his writing career. Raddall was a prolific, award-winning writer. He received Governor General's Awards for three of his books, The Pied Piper of Dipper Creek (1943
), Halifax, Warden of the North (1948
) and The Path of Destiny (1957
). In 1971, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
.
was not as widely recognized, in part due to his own reluctance to label himself as such, in part because he did not strictly adhere to the conventions of academic history. Raddall's civic history of Halifax, Warden of the North, remains the most influential history of the city and continues to shape the city's heritage interpretation and promotion. His depiction of Canadian privateering in books such as The Rover: Story of A Canadian Privateer and Nova Scotia's battle of identity during the American Revolution
in The Path of Destiny shaped stories of these themes which influence scholars and tourism in Nova Scotia today.
Raddall also greatly contribute to Nova Scotia’s heritage through his work with the Queens County Historical Society, the Historic Sites Advisory Council of Nova Scotia, and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. He played a role in preserving the Diary of Simeon Perkins
, an early colonial document published in three volumes (the fourth has yet to be published) between 1948 and 1978 by the Champlain Society, and edited by noted Canadian economist and historian Harold Innis
, and archivists D. C. Harvey and C. B. Ferguson. He was also extremely influential in helping restore and preserve Perkins House Museum, a colonial house built by Simeon Perkins, and now a part of the Nova Scotia Museum
system. Beginning in 1936 and culminating in the House’s official opening by Premier Robert Stanfield
in 1957, Perkins House was the high point of Raddall’s contributions to Nova Scotia’s built heritage
.
His correspondence is housed at the Dalhousie University
Archives, which also runs the Thomas Raddall Electronic Archive Project, currently digitizing his published and unpublished writing. The Thomas Head Raddall Literary Award
honours his legacy.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, FRSC
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(13 November 1903–1 April 1994) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
writer of history and historical fiction.
Early life
Born at Hythe, KentHythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1903, Raddall was the son of British army officer Thomas Head Raddall and Ellen (née Gifford) Raddall. In 1913, he and his family moved to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, where his father had assumed a training position with the Canadian Militia
Canadian Militia
The Canadian Militia was the traditional title for the land forces of Canada from before Confederation in 1867 to 1940 when it was renamed the Canadian Army.The Militia consisted of:* Permanent Active Militia* Non-Permanent Active Militia...
. When World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
began, the elder Raddall joined the war effort. He was killed in action in August 1918 at Amiens when Thomas was still a youth.
In Halifax
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
, Raddall attended Chebucto School until 6 December 1917, when the school was converted into a temporary morgue in the wake of the Halifax Explosion
Halifax Explosion
The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, was devastated by the huge detonation of the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship, fully loaded with wartime explosives, which accidentally collided with the Norwegian SS Imo in "The Narrows"...
. The Raddall family survived the explosion, and Raddall wrote about his experiences in his memoirs, In My Time.
Raddall's first job was as a wireless operator on seagoing ships (including the famous cable ship CS Mackay-Bennett), and at isolated wireless posts such as Sable Island
Sable Island
Sable Island is a small Canadian island situated 300 km southeast of mainland Nova Scotia in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is a year-round home to approximately five people...
. He later took a job as a clerk at a pulp and paper mill in Liverpool
Liverpool, Nova Scotia
Liverpool is a Canadian community and former town located along the Atlantic Ocean of the Province of Nova Scotia's South Shore. It is situated within the Region of Queens Municipality which is the local governmental unit that comprises all of Queens County, Nova Scotia...
, Nova Scotia, where he began his writing career. Raddall was a prolific, award-winning writer. He received Governor General's Awards for three of his books, The Pied Piper of Dipper Creek (1943
1943 Governor General's Awards
In Canada the 1943 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were the seventh such awards. The awards in this period had no monetary prize and were just an honour for the authors.-Winners:...
), Halifax, Warden of the North (1948
1948 Governor General's Awards
In Canada, the 1948 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were the twelfth such awards. The awards in this period had no monetary prize but were an honour for the authors.-Winners:*Fiction: Hugh MacLennan, The Precipice ....
) and The Path of Destiny (1957
1957 Governor General's Awards
The 1957 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were the twenty-first such awards in Canada. The awards in this period an honour for the authors but had no monetary prize.-Winners:*Fiction: Gabrielle Roy, Street of Riches....
). In 1971, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Role as a historian
Raddall was best known for his historical fiction, but he contributed numerous non fiction historical works, some of which had longlasting influence. His role as a public historianHistorian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
was not as widely recognized, in part due to his own reluctance to label himself as such, in part because he did not strictly adhere to the conventions of academic history. Raddall's civic history of Halifax, Warden of the North, remains the most influential history of the city and continues to shape the city's heritage interpretation and promotion. His depiction of Canadian privateering in books such as The Rover: Story of A Canadian Privateer and Nova Scotia's battle of identity during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in The Path of Destiny shaped stories of these themes which influence scholars and tourism in Nova Scotia today.
Raddall also greatly contribute to Nova Scotia’s heritage through his work with the Queens County Historical Society, the Historic Sites Advisory Council of Nova Scotia, and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. He played a role in preserving the Diary of Simeon Perkins
Simeon Perkins
Simeon Perkins was a Nova Scotia merchant, diarist and politician.Colonel Simeon Perkins was born in Norwich, Connecticut, one of sixteen children of Jacob Perkins and Jemima Leonard. He came to Liverpool, Nova Scotia, in May 1762 as part of the New England Planter migration to Nova Scotia...
, an early colonial document published in three volumes (the fourth has yet to be published) between 1948 and 1978 by the Champlain Society, and edited by noted Canadian economist and historian Harold Innis
Harold Innis
Harold Adams Innis was a Canadian professor of political economy at the University of Toronto and the author of seminal works on media, communication theory and Canadian economic history. The affiliated Innis College at the University of Toronto is named for him...
, and archivists D. C. Harvey and C. B. Ferguson. He was also extremely influential in helping restore and preserve Perkins House Museum, a colonial house built by Simeon Perkins, and now a part of the Nova Scotia Museum
Nova Scotia Museum
Nova Scotia Museum is the corporate name for the most decentralized museum in Canada - 27 museums across Nova Scotia, including over 200 historic buildings, living history sites, vessels, specialized museums and close to a million artifacts and specimens...
system. Beginning in 1936 and culminating in the House’s official opening by Premier Robert Stanfield
Robert Stanfield
Robert Lorne Stanfield, PC, QC was the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. He is sometimes referred to as "the greatest prime minister Canada never had", and earned the nickname "Honest Bob"...
in 1957, Perkins House was the high point of Raddall’s contributions to Nova Scotia’s built heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
.
Later life
He died in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, where he had settled. An exact replica of his study, furnished with his possessions, is on view at the Thomas Raddall Research Centre, administered by the Queens County Historical Society, of which Raddall was a founding member in 1929.His correspondence is housed at the Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
Archives, which also runs the Thomas Raddall Electronic Archive Project, currently digitizing his published and unpublished writing. The Thomas Head Raddall Literary Award
Thomas Head Raddall Award
The Thomas Head Raddall Award is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers' Trust of Canada and the Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, to the best work of adult fiction published in the previous year by a writer from the Atlantic provinces...
honours his legacy.