Canton, William, 1845-1926

Epithet: poet and journalist

Canton was a poet, journalist, and historian, much noted for his works related to children. Miss L (Alice Lachmund, 1877-1973) attended Smith College, but graduated from the University of Chicago (Ph.B.).

William Canton was an English poet and journalist born October 17, 1825, on the island of Chushan, China where his father was in the British colonial civil service. His parents were Thomas Canton and Mary Thomas. After his father's death in Jamaica William was educated in France and briefly studied for the Catholic priesthood at the Benedictine College in Douai; his family were Catholics. Subsequent to the studies at the Benedictine College he left the Catholic Church and became a Protestant.

Settling in London in 1867 Canton taught and worked as a journalist. In 1874 he married Emma Moore. Their daughter, who died in 1877, was commemorated in a prose work The Invisible Playmate (1894) and was the first prose work to bring him recognition. Emma died in 1880.

Canton moved to Glasgow in 1876 and worked as an editor in various capacities. He married Annie Elizabeth Taylor in 1882. A daughter, Winifred Vida, was born in 1890 and a son, Guy Desmond, in 1896. In 1891 Canton returned to London as the general manager to the publishers Isbister & Co. and over time became editors of various magazines.

In 1901 Winifred died. That same year he began the writing of the History of the British and Foreign Bible Society, a work that took him nine years. He also wrote many popular books for the Bible Society as well as published poems and stories in various publications. He died May 2, 1926 at Hendon, London, where he has lived since 1912.

Miss L (Alice Lachmund) had initiated a correspondence with William Canton apparently in response to his writings. The letters she received from William Canton, as well as a letter from Mrs. Canton and Guy, were written between 1913 and 1916. Before giving the letters of William Canton's to Smith College Miss Lachmund had blackened out her name leaving only "Miss L." The letters were given as an anonymous gift.

Alice Lachmund (February 10, 1877-January 10, 1973) was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Charles and Fanny L. Lachmund. She was initially a member of the Class of 1899 of Smith College however she did not graduate from Smith. She did receive a Ph.B. from the University of Chicago and apparently taught home economics in the St. Louis school system. Lachmund did author an unpublished work entitled, The Naffz Family History (1960?).