Agatha Armour Linnea McNally Canada's Early Women Writers Canadian Writing Research Collaboratory Born digital object, initially housed by the Simon Fraser University library English Born digital Life writing Biography Bibliography Agatha Armour (1845-1891)

A life-long resident of New Brunswick, Rebecca Agatha Armour was known for her historical sketches and romantic novels.

 25 October 1845, Fredericton, NB 24 April 1891, Fredericton, NB Name at birth: Rebecca Agatha Armour Alternate names: Re. Agatha Armour Agatha Thompson Mrs. John Thompson Note

This author’s life was researched for inclusion in the earlier Canada’s Early Women Writers project at Simon Fraser University. Information in this entry therefore may not be comprehensive, but was verified in 2012-16.

Entry revised by Linnea McNally

 Agatha Armour (1845-1891)

Rebecca Agatha Armour was born in Fredericton, NB, to immigrants from Ireland Joseph Armour (1798-1876) and his second wife, Margaret Hazlett (1815-1891).

In 1863, Rebecca received her teacher's certificate from the Provincial Teacher's College in Fredericton, and became known as one of the best teachers in the province. In 1880 she contributed a series of historical sketches on the Fredericton Capital, and she issued four novels. At least two of these—Lady Rosamund's Secret: A Romance of Fredericton (1880), an historical romance reconstructing Fredericton society during the period 1824-31, and Marguerite Verne; Or, Scenes from Canadian Life (1886)—were published through subscription by the Saint John Daily Telegraph. One other title—Marion Wilburn (n.d.)—may have been a serial, but seems no longer extant. Rebecca married John Gilbraith Thompson in 1885, yet continued to write under her maiden name, as "Re. Agatha Armour."

Within three weeks of her mother's death in 1891, Rebecca died in Fredericton and was buried at the Old Burial Ground. Apart from spending about five years during the 1870s in Lancaster, NB (now part of Saint John), she had lived her entire life in Fredericton.

For a more detailed biography, see her entry in the <XREF URL="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/armour_rebecca_agatha_12E.html" RESP="KME">Dictionary of Canadian Biography</XREF>.

 Published Texts Fiction Marion Wilburn (Saint John, NB: Telegraph, n.d.) Lady Rosamund's Secret: A Romance of Fredericton (Saint John, NB: Telegraph, 1878)—as Re. Agatha Armour Sylvia Leigh; or, the Heiress of Glenmarle (Saint John, NB: Telegraph, 1880) Marguerite Verne; Or, Scenes from Canadian Life (Saint John, NB: Telegraph, 1886)—as Re. Agatha Armour Periodical Contributions Fredericton Capital St. John Daily Telegraph Family and Relationships Father: Joseph Armour (1798 – 31 March 1876)

Joseph Armour was born in 1798 in Coleraine, Ireland, to ship-builder Joseph Armour (c1759-before 1831) and Margaret Steen (c1763-1837). In the late 1830s, Joseph left Coleraine with his young family, his brother's family, and his widowed mother. They settled first in Fredericton, NB, and later in Upper Kent, Carleton County, Upper Canada.

When the younger Joseph's first wife, Nancy Steen (1799-1836), died, he brought his two children into his marriage with his second wife, Margaret Hazlett (c1815-1891). With Margaret, he had five or six more children, including Rebecca Agatha Armour (1845-1891). Joseph, who described himself variously as a grocer and a merchant, died on 31 March 1876 in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

 Mother: Margaret Hazlett (1815 – 6 April 1891)

Margaret Hazlett (or Hazelette) was born in Ireland. She married Joseph Armour (1798-1876), and died on 6 April 1891, in Fredericton, NB.

 Siblings Margaret Armour (b. c1820): m. Fetrich

Margaret was Agatha's half sister.

 Mary Ann Armour (b. c1822): m. James A. Wade

Mary Ann was Agatha's half sister.

 Joseph Armour (1843 – 26 September 1846) Nancy "Annie" Armour (8 January 1848 – after 1911): m. Benjamin Birdsill Carpenter Elizabeth "Lizzie" D. Armour (6 January 1850 – 1907) Jane Margaret Armour (3 June 1852 – 1923): m. Samuel Hanford McKee Spouse: John Gilbraith Thompson (c1846 – after 1891) Marriage: 22 January 1885, Fredericton, NB

John Gilbraith Thompson was born in New Brunswick, to Irish-born wheelwright Gilbraith Thompson (b. c1815) and his wife, Mary (b. c1818). At fourteen, John was already a "laborer," although his thirteen-year-old brother still attended school. John became a carriage maker, and married Rebecca Agatha Armour in 1885. He died some time after 1891.

 Religion Presbyterian Residences

Fredericton, NB (1845-1873, c1878-1891)

Lancaster, NB(1873-c1878)

 Education

Provincial Teacher's College (Teacher's Certificate, November 1863)

 Awards Employment and Volunteer Activities Employment

Schoolteacher

 Archival Holdings Published Resources 1851 Census of Canada, Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. 1861 Census of Canada. 1871 Census of Canada. 1881 Census of Canada. 1891 Census of Canada. Armour. Irish NB Genealogies. Irish Canadian Cultural Association of New Brunswick. Web. 16 January 2015. Blain, Virginia Beers, Isobel Grundy, Patricia Clements, eds. Feminist Companion to Literature in English (New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 1990). Davies, Gwendolyn. Armour, Rebecca Agatha (Thompson). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Web. 16 January 2015. Rebecca Agatha Armour Thompson. Find A Grave. Web. 16 January 2015. MacFarlane, W. G., ed. New Brunswick Bibliography: The Books and Writers of the Province (St. John, NB: Sun, 1895): 79. Watters, R.E. A Checklist of Canadian Literature and Background Materials (Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1972).