Augustus Bridle
Augustus Bridle (4 March 1868 – 21 December 1952) was a British home child who was sent to Canada in 1878 by National Children's Home (now known as Action for Children).[1] After working on Ontario farms as a young boy, he went on to study at the University of Toronto, where he graduated with a gold medal in classics.[2]
Augustus John Bridle | |
---|---|
Born | Augustus John Bridle 4 March 1868 Cann, England, UK |
Died | 21 December 1952 84) Toronto, Ontario, Canada | (aged
Nationality | British Canadian |
Occupation | Writer, critic, editor |
Known for | Founder of the The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto |
Children | 3, including Paul Augustus Bridle |
Bridle began his career in journalism with the Edmonton Bulletin while living at Edmonton, Alberta from 1900 to 1901.[2] He returned to Ontario in 1901, where he continued in newspaper work as a writer, first for the Stratford Herald and later for the Toronto News.[2][3] In 1908 he became the associate editor of the Canadian Courier, a national weekly magazine published in Toronto, continuing in this position until 1916 when he became editor.[3][4] He later joined the staff of the Toronto Daily Star in 1922, and served the newspaper for 30 years as music critic, book reviewer, and film and drama editor.[3][5][6]
In 1908, he became the founding member of The Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, which was noted as being a meeting place for the members of the Group of Seven.[5][7][8]
Bridle was the author of several books, including A Backwoods Christmas (Toronto 1910), Sons of Canada (Toronto 1916), Masques of Ottawa (Toronto 1921), Hansen: A Novel of Canadianization (Toronto 1925), and The Story of the Club (Toronto 1945).[3][5][6]
References
- "Augustus Bridle". British Home Child Registry. BHCARA. 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
- "Augustus Bridle". British Home Children in Canada. British Home Children Advocacy and Research Association. Spring 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- "Noted Critic of Music, Art: Augustus Bridle, 83, Dies". Toronto Daily Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 22 December 1952. p. 1,4.
- "Toronto Critic Succumbs to Injury in Accident". The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 22 December 1952. p. 14.
- "Mr. Bridle's Contributions". Toronto Daily Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 22 December 1952. p. 6.
- Maud Maclean (19 June 2007). "Augustus Bridle". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
- "Some interesting Club history". Arts and Letters Club Toronto. Arts and Letters Club. 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
On a blustery March night in 1908, a group of writers, musicians, architects, academics and supporters of the arts, encouraged by Augustus Bridle, a journalist covering the arts beat, met above a downtown restaurant to found an organization committed to championing of the arts in English-speaking Canada: The Arts & Letters Club of Toronto.
- "Special Music Played at Augustus Bridle Rites". Toronto Daily Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 24 December 1952. p. 15.