Margaret Duley

Margaret Duley
Born	September 27, 1894 St. John's Newfoundland
Died	March 22, 1968 St. John's Newfoundland
Occupation	Author
Nationality	Canadian

Margaret Iris Duley (September 27, 1894 – March 22, 1968) is a Canadian author based out of St. John's, Newfoundland who focused on an outport life for women living in Newfoundland.^[1] She was the daughter of Thomas and Tryphena (née Soper) Duley, who owned a jewelry store.

In 1910 Margaret left school with an equivalent of a grade 11 education and shortly after that in 1911 she and her family visited England for a wedding where Margaret fell in love with her English heritage. in 1913 she then moved to England to study elocution at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts for a year, but because of World War I she had to move home.^[2]

During World War I two of Margaret's three brothers served in the war, and Margaret worked at the Women's Patriotic Association where she fundraised $500 (inflation= $500,000) and knitted wool socks for the soldiers. Her oldest brother was badly wounded during th war and her younger brother was killed during their service.

In 1920 Margaret’s father died and left her an estate of $250 a year allowing her to live at home. She made use of her time as a single lady by joining the Ladies Reading Room and the Current Events Club. She also formed the Women’s Franchise League which created the suffrage Bill was passed in March 1925 allowing women to vote at 25, men at 21 ^[3]

Margaret worked for the Women’s Patriotic Association and the St. John’s Ambulance Corporation for World War II. Afterwards while advocating for women’s rights she became the Public Relations Officer for Red Cross and began writing newspaper articles. After many interviews and broadcast talks on Radio Station CJON, Margaret went to England (1952) to broadcast four stories on the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II ^[4]

In 1955 Margaret’s health started to decline because of Parkinson’s disease and by 1959 she was unable to write letters because of her disease. She was then forced to live with her sister in law and niece who cared for her until 1968 where she died at age 73.

Written Works

During 1928 Margaret and her brother went on a boat trip to the coast of Labrador, and a seagull hovered in front of Margaret’s face with eyes like “yellow ice.” She used that form of fierce, yellow eyed image in her first book titled The Eyes of the Gull and described the theme as a “symbol of a piteous heart of the north.” The book is about a 30 year old woman who wants freedom from her out port life and a dictating mother. The book uses grim humour, and unforgettable characters which effectively portrays the outport life of Newfoundland.

Margaret's second novel Cold Pastoral is said to be influenced by a missing girl, who was said to be lost in the woods. Theme events are parallel to the storyline of an orphaned girl who was adopted by an upper class family of Sy. John. in St.John's during that period. The authenticity of the lifestyles of out port life and the poverty in Newfoundland was appreciated in Britain, but resulted in acquaintances in her town unimpressed.

Her next novels Highway to Valour (1941) and Novelty on Earth (1942) describe women in St. John’s and have possible influences to events happening in that time.

While volunteering in at the Caribou Hut during World War II Margaret wrote her final novel The Caribou Hut which has been speculated to illustrate experiences between her and the American and Canadian soldiers that flooded Newfoundland. There were approximately 16,000 soldiers by 1946 and they spent their off hours at the Caribou Hut.^[5]

Published works

• The Eyes of the Gull, 1936 (Arthur Baker Limited of London)
• Cold Pastoral, 1939 (London: Hutchinson and Company)
• Highway to Valour, 1941 (Toronto and London: Macmillan Company), 1943 (London: Methuen and Company)
• Novelty on Earth, 1943 (Toronto and London: Macmillan Company), 1944 (Britain: Methuen)^[6]
• The Caribou Hut, 1949

References

1. ^ http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002437
2. ^ "Margaret Duley papers" Memorial University Archives and Special Collections Bert Riggs, 1994, http://collections.mun.ca/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/ead&CISOPTR=95&CISOBOX=1&REC=20
3. ^ http://www.heritage.nf.ca/cns_archives/02riggssep22_1994.html
4. ^ "Author: Margaret Duley." Her story II : women from Canada's past. St. Catharines, Ont. : Vanwell Pub., 1995. paperback. October 2010
5. ^ "Author: Margaret Duley." Her story II : women from Canada's past. St. Catharines, Ont. : Vanwell Pub., 1995. paperback. October 2010
6. ^ "Margaret Duley papers" Memorial University Archives and Special Collections Bert Riggs, 1994, http://collections.mun.ca/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/ead&CISOPTR=95&CISOBOX=1&REC=20

Persondata
Name	Duley, Margaret
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 27, 1894
Place of birth	St. John's Newfoundland
Date of death	March 22, 1968
Place of death	St. John's Newfoundland