Blodwen Davies

Blodwen Davies

Blodwen Davies, writer (born at Longueuil, Que 1897; died at Cedar Grove, Ont 10 Sep 1966). Born in the Montréal suburb of Longueuil, Blodwen Davies began writing as a journalist for the Fort William newspaper. Davies moved to Toronto in 1921 to meet with the Group of Seven, a group of artists renowned for their post-impressionist styled portrayals of Canadian landscapes. Her interest in Canada's artistic community grew, and Davies eventually penned a book on one of the country's most influential artists: A Study of Tom Thomson: The Story of a Man Who Looked for Beauty and for Truth in the Wilderness (1935). Davies' texts exploring Canadian social history, regions and cities reflect her interest in many of the same subjects as the Group of Seven. Though her love for the Canadian art scene and environment is obvious in the quantity of her work on the subjects, Davies briefly lived and worked in the United States. In 1946 she returned to her native country, settling in Markham, Ontario. She would spend the last 15 years of her life living and writing in nearby Cedar Grove.

Blodwen Davies was a prolific writer, publishing works including: Storied Streets of Quebec (1927), Old Father Forest (1930), Daniel Du Lhut (1930), Ruffles and Rapiers (1930), Saguenay and Gaspe (1932), Romantic Quebec (1932), The Charm of Ottawa (1932), Youth, Marriage and the Family (1948), Quebec: Portrait of a Province (1952) and Ottawa: Portrait of a Capital (1954). The majority of Davies' work was historical, but in the years leading up to her death she developed an interest in folklore and Mennonite history in Canada. Published posthumously, A String of Amber: The Heritage of the Mennonites (1973) is an authoritative text on Mennonite history and clearly reflects Davies' passion for the subject.