McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Senior Family Fonds
Fonds
4 m of textual records
400 photographs
The bulk of this fonds concerns the teaching and research activities of Elinor Senior. Elinor (Nellie) Kyte Senior was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia. She attended McGill University and graduated with a B.A. degree in 1952. During her days at McGill, Senior was the chief staff writer for the student newspaper, the McGill Daily. She married Hereward Senior in 1954 and had four children. After working as a journalist with the Montreal Star she embarked on an academic career in Canadian history. She graduated with a M.A. degree from Memorial University in 1959 with a thesis on the evolution of Orangeism in Newfoundland, 1863-1885. She graduated from McGill with a Ph.D. in 1976 with a thesis on the British military garrison in Montreal. An avid writer, Senior wrote poetry, short stories, and novels. She specialized in Canadian military history, writing many articles, book reviews, and entries for the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. She authored three books on the military in 19th century Montreal and a history of the city of Cornwall. She was the editor of the Cannon's Mouth, the newsletter of the Canadian Military History Group from 1984-1989. In conjunction with her husband Hereward Senior she also had research interests in Orangeism and the Loyalists as well as a commitment to the Monarchist League. She taught Canadian history courses at McGill, St. Francois Xavier, and Acadia as well as courses on police institutions at Marianopolis College. She was Professor of Military and Strategic Studies at Acadia University when she died in 1989.
This fond was donated to the McGill University Archives by Herward Senior on December 22, 2006. The records were all gathered from the family residence.
The bulk of this fonds concerns the teaching and research activities of Elinor Senior. Her professional activities are documented by files on her career as an academic at Acadia, including correspondence and reports, 1986-1989; professional correspondence, including publishers and book reviews,1978-1988; correspondence and research notes concerning the Rebellions in Lower Canada, 1986-1987, undated, the Montreal garrison, 1969-1978 including criticisms of thesis, and the history of Cornwall project, 1978-1982. Also included loyalist research notes including papers by Hereward and Elinor Senior, 1977-1983 as well as editor’s files and issues of the Cannon’s Mouth, 1984-1986; course lectures and materials chiefly for Canadian history courses, at Acadia, St. Francois Xavier and McGill, 1977-1987 and Marianopolis College on police institutions, 1976, 1979. Her writings include manuscripts for her history publications including the Rebellions in Lower Canada, 1837-38, undated, and the history of Cornwall, 1981-1987. The manuscripts also include her literary writings, poetry, 1944, short stories and articles including publisher’s correspondence, 1951,1953, undated, and a draft of Nellie’s Irish Novel, n.d. Her community activities are reflected by membership files in pro-life groups, 1966-1978 and subject files on abortion, 1973 and sex education, 1974. Her student and family life is reflected by life is reflected through Girl Guide training notebooks, 1943-1947, McGill Daily handbook, approximately 1948, scrapbook on British royalty, 1935-1937, McGill term papers, approximately 1950 and diplomas; correspondence, 1940-1948, 1966-1973 and 1979-1987 and photographs chiefly concerning family events such as weddings and vacations, approximately 1950’s to approximately 1980’s with some professional portraits for her publications, approximately 1980’s.
Hereward Senior’s records, chiefly reflect his research and writing activities, with lesser amounts devoted to community, teaching and family life. There are PhD research notebooks and notes, approximately 1952 as well as later notes on Canadian Orangeism, notes on Loyalist history, 1982-1983; notes and partial drafts on Fenianism: the Canadian phase, 1975. There are drafts for Orangeism in Ireland and Britain, Fenianism and Canadian Orangeism, undated ,1959. There are also drafts of many shorter works such as the Foundation of Canadian Conservatism and In Defense of Tradition and Authority. He also gave speeches to various organizations on the Russian monarchy, the permissive society, Orthodox Christianity and Charles I Martyr.
His professional life is reflected by correspondence, 1950-1992, some with publishers and concerning books reviews but the bulk is made up of correspondence with McGill University, 1966-1973, 1985-1987 and his brother John Senior,1962-1978. He also kept a diary at Memorial University, approximately 1957-1959 and one dated August 24, 1961.
His teaching activities consist of a few lectures, including his first lecture on the history of armies at Royal Roads, 1961 and the historiography course at McGill in 1966. There are other course materials for McGill, 1965-2002 including a course pack on police institutions, 1998.
The bulk of his community activities revolved around the Monarchist League, the records include correspondence, newsletters, clippings, 1974-1987 including a compilation of articles written for Monarchy Canada by Hereward and Elinor Senior, 1974-1993. He also has correspondence with the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada, 1987-1988.
His family life is reflected by correspondence, 1945-1969, chiefly with his mother and aunt, 1976, 1978, 1983-1988, inheritance issues, 1973-74, 1985 and his Russian language training, 1978.
Hereward White’s papers are almost all related to his Red Cross career and include correspondence, 1922-1929, notebooks, undated, diary, 1919 and photographs of Red Cross workers and soldiers in Russia, approximately 1920.
2006-0132 deposited by Hereward Senior, Jr., 6 July 2006
2006-0257 deposited by Hereward Senior, Jr., 22 December 2006
Some French.
Medium
Gordon Burr 22/10/2008