Date Published:
July 2007

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

John Dent

Dent, John Charles (1841-1888), journalist and historian, was born at Kendal; England, on November 8, 1841. He came to Canada with his parents when an infant, and was educated in Canada. He was called to the bar of Upper Canada in 1865, but practised law for only a short time. He returned to England, and was on the staff of the London Daily Telegraph. In 1876 he came back to Canada, and for a year was editor of the Toronto Evening Telegram. He then joined the editorial staff of the Toronto Globe; but later drifted from journalism to the writing of books. In 1880 he published The Canadian portrait gallery (4 vols., Toronto) ; in 1881 The last forty years; Canada since the union of 1841 (2 vols., Toronto); ; and in 1884 The story of the Upper Canadian rebellion (2 vols., Toronto). In 1884 he collaborated with the Rev. Henry Scadding in a volume celebrating the semi-centennial of the city of Toronto; and in 1884 be published a volume of short stories entitled The Gerrard Street mystery, and other weird tales (Toronto). He died at Toronto on September 27, 1888.

Source: W. Stewart WALLACE, The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., pp. 198-199.