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Title

Fonds consists of

10 lower level description(s)

Arrangement structure

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Accession

1. John Buchan fonds [textual record]
2. John Buchan fonds [textual record] (2010-00815-4)

Date(s)

1890-1950

Place of creation

Ontario

Extent

27 microfilm reels : positive.
0.1 cm of textual records (1 p.).

Language of material

English

Scope and content

The fonds consists of one item of textual record and microfilmed material relating to Baron John Buchan's personal life and career as Governor General of Canada. These records are divided into ten series as follows: Shelf list of Buchan's Library; Literary manuscripts, including Buchan's novels, historical works and autobiography; Scrapbooks; Posthumous material, which is comprised of Lady Tweedsmuir's correspondence, clippings, and other material; Miscellaneous material, including tour programmes, photographs, and other documents; Clippings; Writings; Speeches; and Correspondence. The records were created in Ottawa, Ontario. Microfilmed material is located on microfilm reels M-7996 to M-8022.

Conditions of access

Terms of use

Textual records: Microfilm reels are not to circulate on Inter-institutional Loan. No reproduction of the microfilm reels is permitted. However, copies of selected portions may be made for research purposes. Current copyright to be respected.

Finding aid

Textual records: Finding Aid No. 1706 is a descriptive file list together with an index to Buchan's correspondence. MSS1706 (Paper)

Creator / Provenance

Buchan, John, 1875-1940.

Additional name(s)

Associated name: Tweedsmuir, Susan Buchan, 1882-1977. Baroness,

Biography / Administrative history

John Buchan, first Baron Tweedsmuir, was born August 26 at Perth, Scotland. Buchan lived in Pathhead, Fife from 1876 to 1888, when his family moved to Glasgow. In 1892, after attending Hutcheson's Grammar School, he received a bursary to Glasgow University. Three years later he won a scholarship to Brasenose College, Oxford.

While at Oxford, Buchan began contributing to periodicals and publishing books. In 1899 he took rooms at the Temple in London and read for the bar. Two years later, he joined Lord Milner's staff in South Africa, working on refugee camps, land settlement, and the administration of the Orange River and Transvaal Colonies.

Buchan returned to London in 1903 and spent the next three years working as a barrister. He also continued to pursue his literary career. In December 1906 he joined Nelson's publishing house, where he would remain until 1929.

With the outbreak of the First World War, he began a serial history of the war for Nelson's. From 1916 to 1918 he worked for British Military Intelligence, eventually becoming Director of Intelligence in the U.K. Ministry of Information under Beaverbrook.

In 1927 Buchan was elected to the British Parliament as Conservative member for the Scottish Universities. He was re-elected in 1929 and 1931. In 1933 he became High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Two years later he was appointed Governor General of Canada and was thereafter known as Lord Tweedsmuir.

A popular Governor General, he travelled widely throughout Canada and endeavoured to make the office accessible to a broad spectrum of society. In 1937, the year which saw him become the first Governor General to tour the Arctic, Buchan instituted the Governor General's Literary Awards.

The author of more than 60 books, Buchan was both a world-famous novelist and an accomplished historian and biographer. He died in Montreal on February 11.

Additional information

Subject heading

1. Visits of state
2. Canada
3. Politique et gouvernement
4. Politics and government
5. Governors general
6. Canada.
7. Gouverneures générales
8. Canada .
9. Politicians
10. Hommes politiques
11. Visites officielles

Source

Private

Other system control no.

MAINS15704

Related control no.

2010-00815-4

MIKAN no.

98015