De Mille, James

  • DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE: Minerva Tracy, “DE MILLE, JAMES,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 10, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/de_mille_james_10E.html
  • DCB profile notes:
    • Author and professor; b. at Saint John, N.B., probably on 23 Aug. 1833, third child of loyalists Nathan Smith DeMill and Elizabeth Budd; d. at Halifax, N.S., 28 Jan. 1880, at the age of 47.
    • Nathan DeMill was a prosperous merchant, ship-owner, and lumberman in Saint John, N.B. He was a man of strong principles and a strict abstainer, called “cold-water DeMill” by his contemporaries. He left the Church of England to become a Baptist, and was active on the board of governors of Acadia College which was chartered in 1841. James De Mille and his brothers were educated at Horton Academy, Wolfville, before continuing at Acadia. Their adventures at the academy, real or imaginary, form the substance of an excellent set of boys’ books, The “B.O.W.C.” Series. Taking place in and around Minas Basin or celebrating great Maritime events such as the Miramichi fire, these adventures of the Brothers of the White Cross were published between 1869 and 1873.
    • His novels originally appeared serially in American magazines before being published as books in New York or Boston by Harper, Appleton, and other publishers. The majority of the novels show signs of haste and of a desire to satisfy the demand of readers of popular fiction for mystery and high adventure. Helena’s household, an early novel that De Mille had the leisure to write with care, was much admired as giving an accurate picture of Roman family life. Almost all his novels show a delightful sense of humour and parody and a good eye for national absurdities as well as national characteristics. 
    • De Mille has been generally too much forgotten. During his lifetime he was one of Canada’s few well-known writers, but today he is perhaps best known for a poem, “Sweet maiden of Passamaquoddy,” that first appeared in a serialized story, “Minnehaha Mines,” and has since been reprinted in many anthologies. Although many of his writings are of little interest except as examples of 19th-century adventure stories, a few – The Dodge Club, for example – deserve to be reprinted and read. His books for boys would still delight a young reader.
  • Great Grandson of Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory –https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=7812
  • Find a GRAVE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8072543/james-de_mille