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John Buchan

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The Right Honourable
The Lord Tweedsmuir
GCMGGCVOCHPCDL
Buchan in 1935
15thGovernor General of Canada
In office
2 November 1935 – 11 February 1940
Monarchs
Prime MinisterWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King
Preceded byThe Earl of Bessborough
Succeeded byThe Earl of Athlone
More...
Personal details
Born
John Buchan

(1875-08-26)26 August 1875
Perth, Scotland
Died11 February 1940(1940-02-11)(aged 64)
Montreal,Quebec, Canada
Political partyScottish Unionist
Spouse
​
(m.1907)​
Children4, includingJohn,WilliamandAlastair
RelativesO. Douglas(sister)
Alma mater
ProfessionAuthor
Signature
WebsiteJohn Buchan Society
Writing career
GenreAdventure fiction
Notable works
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1901–02
1916–19
RankSecond Lieutenant
UnitColonial Office
Intelligence Corps
Battles/wars

John Buchan, 1st Baron TweedsmuirGCMGGCVOCHPCDL(/ˈbʌxən/;26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, andUnionistpolitician who served asGovernor General of Canada,the15thsinceCanadian Confederation.

As a youth, Buchan began writing poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, publishing his first novel in 1895 and ultimately writing over a hundred books of which the best known isThe Thirty-Nine Steps.After attending Glasgow and Oxford universities, he practised as a barrister. In 1901, he served as a private secretary toLord Milnerin southern Africa towards the end of the Boer War. He returned to England in 1903, continued as a barrister and journalist. He left the Bar when he joined Thomas Nelson and Sons publishers in 1907. During theFirst World War,he was, among other activities, Director of Information in 1917 and later Head of Intelligence at the newly-formed Ministry of Information. He was electedMember of Parliamentfor theCombined Scottish Universitiesin 1927.

In 1935,King George V,on the advice of Canadian Prime MinisterR. B. Bennett,appointed Buchan to succeedthe Earl of Bessboroughas Governor General of Canada and two months later raised him tothe peerageas 1st Baron Tweedsmuir. He occupied the post until his death in 1940. Buchan promoted Canadian unity and helped strengthen the sovereignty of Canada constitutionally and culturally. He received astate funeralin Canada before his ashes were returned to the United Kingdom.

Early life and education

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Buchan was born at today's 18–20 York Place, a double villa now named after him, inPerth,Scotland.[1]He was the first child of John Buchan – aFree Church of Scotlandminister – and Helen Jane Buchan (née Masterton). He was brought up inKirkcaldy,Fife,and spent many summer holidays with his maternal grandparents inBroughtonin theScottish Borders.There he developed a love for walking and for the local scenery and wildlife, both of which are often featured in his novels. The protagonist in several of his books is SirEdward Leithen,whose name is borrowed fromLeithen Water,a tributary of theRiver Tweed.

After the family moved to Glasgow, Buchan attendedHutchesons' Boys' Grammar School.He was awarded a scholarship to theUniversity of Glasgowat age 17, where he studiedclassicsas a student ofGilbert Murray,wrote poetry, and became a published author.[2]He moved on to studyLiterae Humaniores(the Classics) atBrasenose College, Oxford,with a Junior Hulme scholarship in 1895 and in his third year achieved a Senior Hulme scholarship, adding to his financial security.[3][4]At Oxford, he made many friends includingRaymond Asquith,Aubrey Herbertand Tommy Nelson. Buchan won theStanhope essay prizein 1897 and theNewdigate Prizefor poetry the following year;[4]he was also elected as the president of theOxford Unionand had six of his works published, including a book of short stories (Grey Weather,1899) and three of his first adventure novels (John Burnet of Barns,1898;A Lost Lady of Old Years,1899;The Half-Hearted,1900)[5][6]

Buchan had his first portrait painted in 1900 by a youngSholto Johnstone Douglasat around the time of his graduation from Oxford.[7]

Author, journalist, war, and politics

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Further information:List of works by John Buchan

After graduating from Oxford, Buchan read for and wascalled to the Barin June 1901.[8]In September 1901 he travelled to South Africa to become a private secretary toAlfred Milner,who was then theHigh Commissioner for Southern Africa,Governor of Cape Colony,and colonial administrator ofTransvaaland theOrange River Colony,making Buchan an early member ofMilner's Kindergarten.He also gained an acquaintance with a country that would feature prominently in his writing, which he resumed, along with his career as a barrister, upon his return to London in 1903. In 1905, he published a legal book,The Law Relating to the Taxation of Foreign Income.[9]In December 1906, he joined theThomas Nelson & Sons'publishing company and was also a deputy editor ofThe Spectator.[10]On 15 July 1907, Buchan marriedSusan Charlotte Grosvenor—daughter of the Hon.Norman Grosvenor,a son of the 1st Lord Ebury, and a cousin ofthe Duke of Westminster.Together, Buchan and his wife had four children, Alice,John,William,andAlastair.

In 1910, Buchan wrotePrester John,set in South Africa, another of his adventure novels. He began to suffer fromduodenal ulcers,a condition that later afflicted one of his fictional characters, about the same time that he ventured into politics and was adopted asUnionistcandidate in March 1911 for the Scottish Borders seat ofPeebles and Selkirk.He supported some Liberal causes, such as free trade,women's suffrage,national insurance,and curtailing the powers of theHouse of Lords.[11]But he did not support Home Rule in Ireland and what he considered the class hatred fostered by Liberal politicians such asDavid Lloyd George.[12]

With the outbreak of theFirst World War,Buchan began writing a history of the war for Nelson's, the publishers, which was to extend to 24 volumes by the end of the war. He worked in the Foreign Office, and for a time was a war correspondent in France forThe Timesin 1915. In that same year, his most famous novel,The Thirty-Nine Steps,a spy-thriller set just prior to the First World War, was published. The novel featured Buchan's oft-used hero,Richard Hannay,whose character was partly based onEdmund Ironside,a friend of Buchan from his days in South Africa. A sequel,Greenmantle,came the following year. In June 1916 Buchan was sent out to theWestern Frontto be attached to the British Army's General Headquarters Intelligence Section, to assist with drafting official communiques for the press. On arrival he received a field-commission as asecond lieutenantin theIntelligence Corps.[13]

Recognised for his abilities, the War Cabinet, under David Lloyd George, appointed him Director of Information in 1917, essentially leading Britain's propaganda effort. In early 1918, Buchan was made head of a Department of Intelligence within a new Ministry of Information underLord Beaverbrook.[14]Throughout the war, he continued writing volumes of theHistory of the War.It was difficult for him, given his close connections to many of Britain's military leaders, not to mention the government, to be critical of the British Army's conduct during the conflict[15]but nonetheless did so in certain instances, being critical of government, politics or statements, or disagreeing with statistics.[16]Buchan could enter comment on political events. He complimented Winston Churchill's "services to the nation at the outbreak of war for which his countrymen can never be sufficiently grateful... but he was usually selected to be blamed for decisions for which his colleagues were not less responsible."[17]

At one point, Beaverbrook had requested that Buchan meet with journalist andneo-JacobiteHerbert Vivianand admitted to Vivian that he had been a Jacobite sympathiser.[18]Buchan was in fact ambivalent about the Jacobite cause but he did write romances about that adventurous period, for example,A Lost Lady of Old Years(1899),A Book of Escapes and Hurried Journeys(1922) andMidwinter(1923).

Following the close of the war, Buchan turned his attention to writing on historical subjects, along with his usual thrillers and novels. He moved toElsfield,Oxfordshire in 1920 and had become president of theScottish Historical Societyand a trustee of theNational Library of Scotland,[14]and he also maintained ties with various universities.Robert Graves,who lived in nearbyIslip,mentioned his being recommended by Buchan for a lecturing position at the newly foundedCairo University.In a1927 by-election,Buchan was elected as the Unionist Party Member of Parliament for theCombined Scottish Universities.Politically, he was of the Unionist-Nationalist tradition, believing in Scotland's promotion as a nation within theBritish Empirebut also as a constituent of the United Kingdom. "[19]The effects of theGreat Depressionin Scotland, and the subsequent high emigration from that country, also led him to reflect in the same speech: "We do not want to be like the Greeks, powerful and prosperous wherever we settle, but with a dead Greece behind us".[20]He found himself profoundly affected byJohn Morley'sLife of Gladstone,which Buchan read in the early months of theSecond World War.He believed thatGladstonehad taught people to combatmaterialism,complacency, andauthoritarianism;Buchan later wrote toHerbert Fisher,Stair Gillon,andGilbert Murraythat he was "becoming a Gladstonian Liberal."[21]

After theUnited Free Church of Scotlandjoined in 1929 with theChurch of Scotland,Buchan remained an active elder ofSt Columba's Church, London.In 1933 and 1934, Buchan was further appointed as King George V'sLord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Beginning in 1930, Buchan aligned himself withZionism.[22]He was active and vocal in Parliament in condemning the treatment of Jews in Germany.[23]To a mass demonstration organized by the Jewish National Fund in 1934, Buchan described Zionism as "a great act of justice... a reparation for the centuries of cruelty and wrong which have stained the record of nearly every Gentile people."[24]He was a friend ofChaim Weizmannand assisted him to keep alive Britain's commitment to a Jewish state.[25][26][27]Despite this, Buchan was later described byAnthony Storras being "overtly antisemitic".[28]This is, however, a claim that does not hold up amidst the evidence of Buchan's active support to and friendship with Jews and supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland. As Ursula Buchan notes in her biography, the charge of anti-Semitism is almost entirely as a result of some unfavourable comments made by fictional characters, mostly to be found in theHannay books.[29]InThe Thirty-Nine Steps,for example, the anti-Semitic comments of the murdered freelance spy, Scudder, are called 'eyewash' by Hannay and proved to be totally wrong by later events. She cautions, "it is important to avoid anachronism", that is, "[r]acial and national stereotyping, favourable and unfavourable, was commonplace throughout all society" so "it is hardly surprising that characters in JB's novels should engage in it", reflecting that society.[30]As a supporter of the Jewish people and a homeland, Buchan's name was inscribed in the Golden Book of the Jewish National Fund of Israel.[31]His name was also in a Nazi publication, "Who's Who in Britain" (Frankfurt, 1938), reading "Tweedsmuir, Lord: Pro-Jewish activity.[32]In one history of the Jewish experience in Canada, Buchan, as Governor-General Lord Tweedsmuir, is described as the "most visible supporter" of the Jews.[33]Both Tweedsmuir and his wife Susan "spoke publicly in favour of Zionism, lending the cachet of the Crown" to the cause of a Jewish homeland.[34]Susan Tweedsmuir's name was also entered into the Golden Book.[35]

In recognition of his contributions to literature and education, on 1 January 1932, Buchan was granted the personal gift of the sovereign of induction into theOrder of the Companions of Honour.[36]

Having previously advocated in the House of Commons for the establishment of a public body for film in the mould of theBBC,Buchan was appointed among the first nine Governors of theBritish Film Instituteafter its formation in 1933.[37]Buchan remained in the role until his appointment as Governor General of Canada in 1935.[38]

In 1935, Buchan's literary work was adapted for the cinema with the release ofAlfred Hitchcock'sThe 39 Steps,starringRobert Donatas Richard Hannay, although Buchan's story was much altered. This came in the same year that Buchan was honoured with appointment to theOrder of St Michael and St Georgeon 23 May,[39]as well as being elevated to thepeerage,when he was ennobled by King George V asBaron Tweedsmuir,ofElsfieldin the County of Oxford on 1 June.[40]This had been done in preparation for Buchan's appointment asCanada's governor general;when consulted byCanadian prime ministerR. B. Bennettabout the appointment, theLeader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition,William Lyon Mackenzie King,recommended that the King allow Buchan to serve as a commoner,[41]but George V insisted that he be represented by a peer.

Buchan's name had been earlier put forward by Mackenzie King to George V as a candidate for the governor generalcy: Buchan and his wife had been guests of Mackenzie King's at his estate,Kingsmere,in 1924 and Mackenzie King, who at that time was prime minister, was impressed with Buchan, stating, "I know no man I would rather have as a friend, a beautiful, noble soul, kindly & generous in thought & word & act, informed as few men in this world have ever been, modest, humble, true, man after God's own heart." One evening in the following year, the Prime Minister mentioned to Governor Generalthe Lord Byng of Vimythat Buchan would be a suitable successor to Byng, with which the Governor General agreed, the two being friends. Word of this reached the British Cabinet, and Buchan was approached, but he was reluctant to take the posting; Byng had been writing to Buchan about theconstitutional disputethat took place in June 1926 and spoke disparagingly of Mackenzie King.[42]

Governor General of Canada

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Mackenzie Kingdelivers an address at the installation of Lord Tweedsmuir asGovernor General of Canada,2 November 1935
The Lord Tweedsmuir inNativeheaddress,photo portrait byYousuf Karsh,1937

On 27 March 1935, SirGeorge Halsey Perleyannounced in the Canadian Parliament (in place of ailing Conservative Prime MinisterRichard Bedford Bennett) that the King appointed Mr. John Buchan as the viceregal representative.[43]The King approved the appointment,[44]made by commission under theroyal sign-manualandsignet.Buchan, by this time elevated to the peerage as the first Baron Tweedsmuir, then departed for Canada and was sworn in as the country's Governor General in a ceremony on 2 November 1935 in the Legislative Council of Quebec (salon rouge) of theparliament buildings of Quebec.

By the time Lord Tweedsmuir arrived in Canada,William Lyon Mackenzie Kinghad been sworn in as Prime Minister after theLiberal Partywon thefederal electionheld the previous month. Tweedsmuir was the first Governor General of Canada appointed since the enactment of theStatute of Westminsteron 11 December 1931, and was thus the first to have been decided on solely by themonarch of Canadainhis Canadian council.

Tweedsmuir brought to the post a longstanding knowledge of Canada. He had written many appreciative words about the country as a journalist onThe Spectatorand had followed the actions of the Canadian forces in the First World War when writingNelson's History of the War,and was helped by talks with Julian Byng, during a visit Canada in 1924.[45]He had also written a memoir of a previous Governor General,Lord Minto(1898-1904), published in 1924. His knowledge and interest in increasing public awareness and accessibility to Canada's past resulted in Tweedsmuir being made theChamplain Society's second honorary president between 1938 and 1939.[46]He continued writing during his time in Canada, but he also took his position as Governor General seriously, and from the outset made it his goal to travel the length and breadth of Canada, including to theArctic regions,[47]and promoting Canadian unity in the process. He said of his job: "a Governor General is in a unique position for it is his duty to know the whole of Canada and all the various types of her people."

Tweedsmuir encouraged a distinct Canadian identity as well as national unity, despite the ongoing Great Depression andthe difficulty it caused for the population.[14]He strengthened the sovereignty of Canada, constitutionally and culturally. However, not all Canadians shared Buchan's views. He aroused the ire ofimperialistswhen he said inMontrealin 1937: "a Canadian's first loyalty is not to the BritishCommonwealth of Nations,but to Canada, andto Canada's King,"[48]a statement that theMontreal Gazettedubbed as "disloyal"[49]but that was largely because the news release did not include "and to Canada's King" which Tweedsmuir had added by hand to his typed draft after it had been distributed to the media.[50]Tweedsmuir stated that ethnic groups "should retain their individuality and each make its contribution to the national character" and "the strongest nations are those that are made up of different racial elements."[51]

George V died in late January 1936, and his eldest son, the popularPrince of Wales,succeeded to the throne as Edward VIII.Rideau Hall—the royal and viceroyal residence inOttawa—was decked in black crepe and all formal entertaining was cancelled during theofficial period of mourning.As the year unfolded, it became evident that the new king planned to marry the American divorcéeWallis Simpson,which caused much discontent throughout theDominionsand created a constitutional crisis. Tweedsmuir conveyed toBuckingham Palaceand theBritish Prime MinisterStanley BaldwinCanadians' deep affection for the King, but also the outrage to Canadian religious feelings, both Catholic and Protestant, that would occur if Edward married Simpson.[52]By 11 December,King Edward had abdicatedin favour of his younger brother,Prince Albert, Duke of York,who was thereafter known as George VI. In order for the line of succession for Canada to remain parallel to those of the other Dominions, Tweedsmuir, asGovernor-in-Council,gave the government's consent tothe British legislation formalising the abdication,and ratified this with finality when he grantedRoyal Assentto the CanadianSuccession to the Throne Actin 1937.[53]Upon receiving news from Mackenzie King of Edward's decision to abdicate, Tweedsmuirquippedthat, in his year in Canada as governor general, he had represented three kings.[54]

Tweedsmuir's desire to strengthen the culture of Canada is reflected in his approval of the establishment of theGovernor General's Literary Awardsin 1936. The was done after discussion with theCanadian Authors Association,under the chairmanship of Dr. Pelham Edgar. The "GGs", as they are nicknamed in Canada, remain Canada's premier literary awards, announced annually, now with seven categories in English and in French.[55]Tweedsmuir also inspired and encouraged individual writers.[56]In January 1940, despite the war, Tweedsmuir invited influential Canadians to Rideau Hall, including Sam McLaughlin, President of General Motors of Canada, to support, as he wrote to his sister in Scotland, the development of "a Hollywood in British Columbia". How prescient as forty plus years later Vancouver has the nickname "Hollywood North".[57]

In May and June 1939, King George VI andQueen Elizabethtoured Canadafrom coast to coast and paid astate visitto the United States. Tweedsmuir had conceived the royal tour beforethe coronationin 1937; according to the official event historian,Gustave Lanctot,the idea "probably grew out of the knowledge that at his coming Coronation, George VI was to assume the additional title of King of Canada," and he wished to demonstrate vividly Canada's status as an independent kingdom[58][59]by allowing Canadians to see "their King performing royal functions, supported by his Canadianministers."Mackenzie King, however, was not convinced, thinking it wrong to spend money on royalty while the poor were starving. To overcome King's reticence, Tweedsmuir argued that the royal visit" would have a 'unifying' effect on Canada[60]while the visit to the U.S. would be "helpful to relations of democracies.[61]Mackenzie King agreed. Tweedsmuir put great effort into securing a positive response from Buckingham Palace to the invitation; after more than a year without a reply, in June 1938 he used a trip to the United Kingdom for a rest cure at Ruthin Castle in Wales to procure a positive decision on the royal tour. After a period of convalescence at Ruthin Castle and his home nearOxford,Tweedsmuir sailed back to Canada in October with a secured commitment that the royal couple would tour the country and visit the United States. Though he had been a significant contributor to the organisation of the trip, Tweedsmuir remained largely out of sight for the duration of the royal tour; he expressed the view that while the King of Canada was present, "I cease to exist as Viceroy, and retain only a shadowy legal existence as Governor-General in Council."[58]In Canada, the royal couple took part in public events such as the opening of theLions Gate Bridgein Vancouver in May 1939, and King George sat in Parliament and personally granted Royal Assent to bills passed there. The King appointed Tweedsmuir a Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Victorian Orderwhile on the royal train, betweenTruroandBedford, Nova Scotia.[62]The King and Queen began their visit to the United States on 8 June.

The royal visit to the United States was the high point of Tweedsmuir's efforts to develop a strong relationship with President Roosevelt, which he began soon after his arrival in Canada. The objective was to demonstrate, especially to the dictators in Europe, the friendship of America with Canada, as a member of the British Empire and Commonwealth. Roosevelt had to be circumspect and not be seen to have direct relations with Britain because of the strong isolationist opinion in the U.S. concerned about being dragged into another European war. Tweedsmuir and Roosevelt met twice, at the end of July 1936 in Quebec City, summer residence of the Governor General, and the second in the spring of 1937 with an official visit by the Tweedsmuirs to Washington, D.C. Both visits were significant successes.

Buchan's experiences during the First World War made him averse to war, and he tried to help prevent another one in co-ordination with Mackenzie King and theU.S. PresidentFranklin D. Rooseveltby the calling of a conference, to be chaired by the U.S. and to include the European dictators. Those efforts to try to secure future peace and stability proved fruitless because the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, refused to countenance the idea.

Tweedsmuir signed Canada's declaration of war against Germany on 10 September, a week after the British declaration of war. The week difference allowed war-related materiel, such as aeroplanes and munitions, to move to Canada from the neutral United States, which was prohibited under the Neutrality Act from exporting such materiel to belligerents.[63]During the fall of 1939, negotiations were held to establish an air training plan in Canada for Commonwealth air crew. The negotiations were long and difficult, in particular with Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King who was adamant that the facilities would be under the control of the Canadian government. Tweedsmuir had known from previous experience with a British mission, which had examined the possibility of aircraft production in Canada in the spring of 1938, that officials in Britain "do not seem to understand the real delicacy of the position of the self-governing Dominions, especially Canada.[64]King had been difficult, as Chamberlain admitted to Tweedsmuir.[65]Tweedsmuir played a key role in securing British agreement to the final negotiations in mid-December 1939 and King acknowledged this in a letter, thank the Governor General "warmly for the help... What a mischief there would have been had there been another moment's delay!"[66]

Lord Tweedsmuir's grave in St Thomas's churchyard,Elsfield

On 6 February 1940, he suffered a slight stroke and struck his head on the edge of a bath at Rideau Hall.[67]Two surgeries by DoctorWilder Penfieldof theMontreal Neurological Institutewere insufficient to save him, and his death on 11 February saw an outpouring of grief, gratitude and admiration, not only in Canada but throughout the English-speaking world. In a radio eulogy, Mackenzie King stated: "In the passing of His Excellency, the people of Canada have lost one of the greatest and most revered of their Governors General, and a friend who, from the day of his arrival in this country, dedicated his life to their service."[68]The Governor General had formed a strong bond with his prime minister, even if it may have been built more on political admiration than friendship: Mackenzie King appreciated Buchan's "sterling rectitude and disinterested purpose."[6]

Afterlying in statein theSenate chamberonParliament Hill,Buchan was given astate funeralatSt Andrew's Presbyterian Churchin Ottawa. His ashes were returned to the UK aboard the cruiserHMSOrionfor final burial atElsfield,the village where he lived in Oxfordshire.[69]In the United Kingdom, a memorial service was held in medieval Elsfield church on the Saturday after his death and services were held later that month at Westminster Abbey and at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.[70]

Legacy

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In his last years, Buchan wrote his autobiographyMemory Hold-the-Door,as well as works on the history of Canada. He and Lady Tweedsmuir established the first proper library at Rideau Hall, and he founded theGovernor General's Literary Awards,which remain Canada's premier award for literature.[14]His grandchildrenJamesandPerdita Buchanalso became writers.

Buchan's 100 works include nearly 30 novels, seven collections of short stories, and biographies of SirWalter Scott,Caesar Augustus,andOliver Cromwell.He was awarded the 1928James Tait Black Memorial Prizefor his biography ofthe Marquess of Montrose,[71]but the most famous of his books were the spy thrillers, and it is for these that he is now best remembered. The "last Buchan" (asGraham Greeneentitled his appreciative review) was the 1941 novelSick Heart River(American title:Mountain Meadow), in which a dying protagonist confronts the questions of the meaning of life in the Canadian wilderness.

Tweedsmuir Provincial Park in British Columbia is now divided intoTweedsmuir South Provincial ParkandTweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area.It was created in 1938 to commemorate Buchan's 1937 visit to theRainbow Rangeand other nearby areas by horseback and floatplane. He wrote in the foreword to a booklet published to commemorate his visit: "I have now travelled over most of Canada and have seen many wonderful things, but I have seen nothing more beautiful and more wonderful than the great park which British Columbia has done me the honour to call by my name".[72]

J.R.R. Tolkienadmired Buchan's adventure stories; Buchan, along with other authors such asSir H. Rider HaggardandWilliam Morris,influenced Tolkien's own works.[73][74][75]

His granddaughter Ursula wrote a biography of him,Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps: A Life of John Buchan(2019).[76]

In the 21st century, his writing has come under scrutiny for its attitudes towards race. For instance, Roger Kimball states: "One cannot read far into the commentary on Buchan,... before encountering some stiff criticism of some of his attitudes and language. The criticism resolves into three main charges: Buchan was a colonialist,... Buchan was a racist... Buchan was an anti-Semite:..."[77]while an article in theHeraldon Buchan's poem 'The Semitic Spirit speaks' concludes that it "is poisoned by prejudice".[78]

Honours

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Viceregal styles of
the Lord Tweedsmuir
(1935–1940)
Reference styleHis Excellency the Right Honourable
Son Excellence le très honorable
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Votre Excellence
Medals of John Buchan in theNational Museum of Scotland
Appointments
Medals
Awards
Foreign honours
Non-national honours

Honorary military appointments

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Honorary degrees

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Honorific eponyms

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Geographic locations
Schools
Organisations
Coat of arms of John Buchan
Crest
A sunflower Proper.
Escutcheon
Azure a fess between three lions' heads erased Argent.
Supporters
Dexter a stag Proper attired Or collared Gules sinister a falcon Proper jessed belled and beaked Or armed and collared Gules.
Motto
Non Inferiora Secutus (Not Following Meaner Things)[84]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Perth City Heritage Fund– Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust
  2. ^Smith, Janet Adam,John Buchan,Rupert Hart-Davis, London, 1965, pp. 30–32
  3. ^Smith, p. 41 and also Buchan, Ursula,Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps,Bloomsbury, London, 2019, pp. 34 and 49
  4. ^ab"Queen's University Archives > Exhibits > John Buchan > Oxford, 1895–1899: Scholar Gypsy".Queen's University. Archived fromthe originalon 29 September 2011.Retrieved30 March2009.
  5. ^Buchan, Ursula, pp. 57–58 and 61–62.
  6. ^abHillmer, Norman. "Biography > Governors General of Canada > Buchan, John, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir". In Marsh, James H. (ed.).The Canadian Encyclopedia.Toronto: Historica Foundation of Canada. Archived fromthe originalon 3 July 2007.Retrieved31 March2009.
  7. ^Lee, Sidney, ed. (1950).The Dictionary of National Biography.New York: Oxford University Press. p. 113.
  8. ^Smith, Chapter Four "Barrister and Journalist"
  9. ^Buchan, John (1905)."The law relating to the taxation of foreign income /".search.law.villanova.edu.Retrieved20 July2024.
  10. ^"Queen's University Archives > Exhibits > John Buchan > Home and Family".Queen's University. Archived fromthe originalon 28 October 2012.Retrieved30 March2009.
  11. ^Parry, J. P. (2002). "From the Thirty-Nine Articles to the Thirty-Nine Steps: reflections on the thought of John Buchan". In Bentley, Michael (ed.).Public and Private Doctrine: Essays in British History presented to Maurice Cowling.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 226.
  12. ^Parry 2002,p. 227
  13. ^Charteris, John (1931)At G.H.Q.,Cassell.
  14. ^abcdOffice of the Governor General of Canada."Governor General > Former Governors General > Lord Tweedsmuir of Elsfield".Queen's Printer for Canada.Retrieved14 April2010.
  15. ^Sanders, M. L. (1975). Culbert, David (ed.). "Wellington House and British Propaganda During the First World War".The Historical Journal.No. 18. London: Carfax Publishing. pp. 119–146.ISSN0143-9685.
  16. ^Buchan, John,Nelson's History of the War,Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd., U.K., Vol. VII (pub’d Sept. 1915), Chapter LI (51), “The Political Situation: Britain and Italy”,(pp. 61–62). Buchan quotes a speech by the British Prime Minister in April 1915 saying a statement he read about a lack of munitions crippling Britain and its Allies had “not a word of truth in [it].” Buchan comments that, unfortunately, that statement “was literally true”. At pp. 57–60, Buchan critically analyses the British political system, its inadequacies and unpreparedness for war. He highlights: “a disinclination to tell the nation unpalatable truths” on the part of government and “ill-informed criticism in the press”; expenditure “on a lavish scale” and “much avoidable waste”; shortage of munitions and divided expert advice; casualty figures only announced in June 1915 that revealed deaths increased five-fold from Feb. to June 1915 “without any conspicuous success”. Vol. II (pub’d March 1915), p. 173. At a battle of the Marne, German dead were reported in France at 10,000 which Buchan states “is clearly an overstatement”.
  17. ^Buchan, Nelson's History of the War, Vol. VII, p.63
  18. ^Vivian, Herbert (1923).Myself not least, being the personal reminiscences of "X.".New York: H. Holt and Company. pp.373–374.
  19. ^"Debate on the Address".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).House of Commons. 24 November 1932. col. 261.
  20. ^"Debate on the Address".Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).House of Commons. 24 November 1932. col. 267.
  21. ^Parry 2002,p. 234
  22. ^Christopher Hitchens (March 2004)."Between Kipling and Fleming stands John Buchan, the father of the modern spy thriller".The Atlantic.Retrieved13 August2014.
  23. ^Buchan, Ursula (2019). Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps. London: Bloomsbury. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4088-7081-5.
  24. ^Buchan, Ursula (2019). Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps. London: Bloomsbury. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4088-7081-5.
  25. ^Galbraith, J. William (2013).John Buchan: Model Governor General.Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 197.ISBN978-1-4597-0937-9.
  26. ^Weizmann, Chaim (1979).The Letters and Papers of Chaim Weizmann.Israel Universities Press. p. 320-321, Letter 285, Weizmann to Tweedsmuir/Buchan, February 22, 1938, Series A: Letters, Vol. 18.
  27. ^Rose, Norman (1973).The Gentile Zionists.London: Frank Cass Ltd.
  28. ^Anthony Storr (1997).Feet of Clay: A Study of Gurus.HarperCollins. p. 168.
  29. ^Buchan, Ursula (2019).Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps.London: Bloomsbury. p. 299.ISBN978-1-4088-7081-5.
  30. ^Buchan, Ursula (2019).Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps.London: Bloomsbury. p. 299.ISBN978-1-4088-7081-5.
  31. ^Smith, Janet Adam (1965).John Buchan.London: Rupert Hart-Davis. p. 317.
  32. ^Buchan, Ursula (2019).Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps.London: Bloomsbury. p. 300.ISBN978-1-4088-7081-5.
  33. ^Brown, Michael (2001)."Zionism in the Pre-Statehood Years: The Canadian Response" in From Immigration to Integration: The Canadian Jewish Experience.Toronto: B'nai Brith Canada, Institute for International Affairs. pp. 121–134.
  34. ^Brown, Michael (2001)."Zionism in the Pre-Statehood Years: The Canadian Response" in From Immigration to Integration: The Canadian Jewish Experience.Toronto: B'nai Brith Canada, Institute for International Affairs. pp. 121–134.
  35. ^Galbraith, J. William (2013).John Buchan: Model Governor General.Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 208.ISBN978-1-4597-0937-9.
  36. ^"No. 33785".The London Gazette.29 December 1931. p. 12.
  37. ^Lownie, Andrew (2003).John Buchan: The Presbyterian Cavalier.London: Pimlico. p. 219.ISBN1-56792-236-8.
  38. ^"Taking Stock".Sight and Sound.4(15): 104. Autumn 1935.
  39. ^"No. 34164".The London Gazette.28 May 1935. p. 3443.
  40. ^"No. 34167".The London Gazette.4 June 1935. p. 3620.
  41. ^Reynolds, Louise (2005).Mackenzie King: Friends & Lovers.Victoria: Trafford Publishing. p. 124.ISBN978-1-4120-5985-5.
  42. ^Reynolds 2005,p. 125
  43. ^House of Commons (Canada) Debates, 27 March 1935, page 2144.
  44. ^House of Commons (Canada) Debates, 27 March 1935, page 2144. Cited with other details in Galbraith, J. William, "John Buchan: Model Governor General", Dundurn, Toronto, 2013. p.19.
  45. ^Smith, Janet Adam (1979).John Buchan and his world.Thames & Hudson. p. 89.ISBN0-500-13067-1.
  46. ^The Champlain Society."Former Officer's of The Champlain Society (1905–2012)".Archived fromthe originalon 27 October 2014.Retrieved19 October2014.
  47. ^The first governor-general to travel to the Canadian Arctic was Lord Byng (GG 1921–1926) in 1925. Cited in Galbraith, William, "The Literary Governor-General" in "The Literary Review of Canada", October 1996, page 19.
  48. ^Smith, Janet Adam (1965).John Buchan: a Biography.Boston: Little Brown and Company. p. 423.
  49. ^"Royal Visit".Time.Vol. IXX, no. 17. New York: Time Inc. 21 October 1957.ISSN0040-781X.Archived fromthe originalon 13 May 2007.Retrieved29 March2009.
  50. ^Two typed drafts of speeches, with Tweedsmuir's handwritten comments, in: Buchan Papers, Speeches, Library and Archives Canada. Details cited in Galbraith, J. William, John Buchan: Model Governor General, Dundurn, Toronto, 2013, pp. 139–144.
  51. ^Saunders, Doug (27 June 2009)."Canada's mistaken identity".The Globe and Mail.Retrieved28 June2009.
  52. ^Hubbard, R.H. (1977).Rideau Hall.Montreal and London: McGill-Queen's University Press. p.187.ISBN978-0-7735-0310-6.
  53. ^Tony O'Donohue v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada and Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the United Kingdom,01-CV-217147CM,s. 34 (Ontario Superior Court of Justice 26 June 2006).
  54. ^Library and Archives Canada(2007)."The Diaries of William Lyon Mackenzie King".Queen's Printer for Canada. p. 562. Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2013.Retrieved14 August2012.
  55. ^"Governor General's Literary Awards".Canada Council for the Arts.Retrieved13 September2024.
  56. ^Thomas Randall,David Walker,andKenneth Millarare examples cited in Galbraith, J. William, John Buchan: Model Governor General, Dundurn, 2013, pp. 364–367.
  57. ^Galbraith, J. William, "Hollywood in British Columbia", John Buchan Journal, Autumn, 2004, Issue 31, pp. 19–22.
  58. ^abcdGalbraith, William (1989)."Fiftieth Anniversary of the 1939 Royal Visit".Canadian Parliamentary Review.12(3). Ottawa: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Archived fromthe originalon 5 December 2012.Retrieved29 March2009.
  59. ^In fact, the idea for a visit by a reigning monarch occurred in 1936 and came from King Edward VIII who also had a ranch in Alberta which, as Prince of Wales, he had purchased in 1919. See: Galbraith, J. William, John Buchan: Model Governor General, Dundurn, 2013, p. 146.
  60. ^Mackenzie King Diary, 29 May 1938, Library and Archives Canada, and letters from Tweedsmuir to his wife and sister, both dated 30 May 1938, Buchan Papers (microfiche), Library and Archives Canada.
  61. ^Mackenzie King Diary, 29 May 1938, Library and Archives Canada.
  62. ^McCreery, Christopher (2008),On Her Majesty's Service: Royal Honours and Recognition in Canada,Toronto: Dundurn, p. 32,ISBN9781459712249,retrieved20 November2015
  63. ^Buchan, Ursula (2019). Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps. London: Bloomsbury. p. 382.
  64. ^Letter from Tweedsmuir to his wife Susan in England on holiday, 25 May 1938, Buchan Papers, Library and Archives Canada.
  65. ^Letter Chamberlain to Tweedsmuir, 27 December 1939, Buchan Papers, Library and Archives Canada.
  66. ^Letter Mackenzie King to Tweedsmuir, handwritten, 24 December 1939, Buchan Papers, Library and Archives Canada.
  67. ^John Buchan: Master of Suspense BBC4 2 June 2022
  68. ^King, Rt.Hon. W.L. Mackenzie,Tributes to the Late Lord Tweedsmuir,J.O. Patenaude, Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty, 1940, Library and Archives Canada.
  69. ^Biggs, Percy (28 August 1991)."Biggs, Percy Sydney (Oral history)".Imperial War Museums.Catalogue number 12211. Wood, Conrad (recorder). 23m57s.Retrieved5 June2019.
  70. ^Buchan, Ursula (2019). Beyond The Thirty-Nine Steps. London: Bloomsbury. p.400
  71. ^Montrose – A Historywas a scholarly revision ofThe Marquis of Montrose,published in 1913.
  72. ^Ministry of the Environment."BC Parks > Find a Park > Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park > History".Queen's Printer for British Columbia. Archived fromthe originalon 19 December 2019.Retrieved27 May2009.
  73. ^Resnick, Henry (1967). "An Interview with Tolkien".Niekas.pp. 37–47.
  74. ^Lobdell, Jared C.(2004).The World of the Rings: Language, Religion, and Adventure in Tolkien.Open Court. pp.5–6.ISBN978-0-8126-9569-4.
  75. ^Rogers, William N. II; Underwood, Michael R. (2000)."Gagool and Gollum: Exemplars of Degeneration inKing Solomon's MinesandThe Hobbit".In Clark, George; Timmons, Daniel (eds.).J. R. R. Tolkien and His Literary Resonances: Views of Middle-earth.Greenwood Press. pp.121–132.ISBN978-0-313-30845-1.
  76. ^{{cite web %7chttps:// bloomsbury /uk/beyond-the-thirtynine-steps-9781408870822/%7chttps:// spectator.co.uk/article/was-there-no-end-to-his-talents/#comments-container%7c last1=Quinn |first1=Anthony |title=Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps: A Life of John Buchan review – a man of no mystery |url=https:// theguardian /books/2019/may/05/beyond-the-thirty-nine-steps-a-life-of-john-buchan-ursula|website=The Observer |access-date=26 December 2019 |date=5 May 2019}}
  77. ^""Realism coloured by poetry": rereading John Buchan ".newcriterion.September 2003.Retrieved1 August2021.
  78. ^"First-degree racism and snobbery with violence".HeraldScotland.25 March 1996.Retrieved1 August2021.
  79. ^abcde"Material relating to John Buchan, first Lord Tweedsmuir (1875–1940)"(PDF).National Library of Scotland. ACC 12329. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 3 March 2016.Retrieved29 March2009.
  80. ^abHonorary Degree Recipients 1850 – 2008(PDF).Toronto: University of Toronto. 30 June 2008. p. 8.
  81. ^"Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia > Tweedsmuir Peak".Mountain Equipment Co-op.Retrieved27 May2009.
  82. ^"Find a Walk > The John Buchan Way (Peebles to Broughton)".Walking Scotland.Retrieved26 March2009.
  83. ^"John Buchan Centre".John Buchan Society.Retrieved26 March2009.
  84. ^Debrett's Peerage.1985. p. 1196.

Further reading

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Government offices
Preceded by Governor General of Canada
1935–1940 		Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of ParliamentforCombined Scottish Universities
April 1927–June 1935
With:George Berryto 1931
Dugald Cowanto 1934
Noel Skeltonfrom 1931
George Morrisonfrom 1934 		Succeeded by
Academic offices
Preceded by Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh
1937–1940 		Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New title Baron Tweedsmuir
3 June 1935 – 11 February 1940 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Buchan&oldid=1248672081"