Gwendolyn Merrin Massey collection [textual record]. -- 1936-1962, predominant 1936-1944. -- 6 cm of textual records

Biographical sketch: Gwendolyn Merrin, the daughter of Florrie Hudswell and Walter Merrin, was born in London, England in 1907. During the 1930s, she resided in Toronto, Ontario. A journalist and friend of Charles G. D. Roberts, she acted occasionally as his typist. In the summer of 1936, she married Frederick Massey (1905-1970), a Toronto bank accountant. In 1937 they asked Charles G. D. Roberts to be godfather to their daughter, Isabel Ann. The Masseys eventually moved to New Brunswick, where Frederick was a manufacturers' sales agent.

Gwendolyn Massey died at Saint John, New Brunswick on 6 April 1993.

Source:
Boone, Laurel, ed., The Collected Letters of Charles G. D. Roberts, 1989
The Telegraph-Journal, 8 April 1993

Custodial history: Gwendolyn Merrin Massey probably acquired many of these poems when Roberts sent them to her for typing. The autographed copy of "Those Perish, These Endure" was sent to her by Roberts as a gift in April 1937.

Scope and content: This collection consists of postcards and letters to Gwendolyn Merrin Massey from Charles G. D. Roberts concerning business and personal matters, as well as 5 typescript and 2 holograph poems by him, all of which are autographed. Several of the poems contain corrections in Roberts's hand. The collection also includes newspaper clippings, articles and programmes about Roberts and his activities and offprints, booklets and published copies of works by him.

Title based on the name of the collector

Deposited by Gwendolyn Massey in 1984

File arrangement is random

A typescript copy of Gwendolyn M. Merrin's poem, "Elinor," dated 1935, is located in MG L27c Lady Joan Roberts collection

Files:

1. 1936-1939, correspondence to Gwendolyn Merrin Massey from Charles G. D. Roberts

2. Typescript and holograph poems by Charles G. D. Roberts, [1937?]-[1940?]
Note: Includes "As Down the Woodland Ways", "In Time of Earth's Misuse" (1940), "Peace with Dishonor" (1938), "Resurgant", "Those Parish, These Endure" (1937), "Twilight Over Shauganauk" and "Two Rivers" (1937).

3. Newspaper clippings, 1936-1943

4. Full Tide. - Vol. 8, No. 2; 5 February 1944. - memorial number dedicated to the memory of Charles G. D. Roberts
Note: Published by the Vancouver Poetry Society, this volume contains tributes to Roberts by Lorne Pierce, William Arthur Deacon, Duncan Campbell Scott and Elsie Pomeroy among others

5. "A Canadian author's welcome in Italy and a few memories of the poet / by Elsie M. Pomeroy. - The Atlantic Advocate, March 1962

6. Francis Sherman / by Charles G. D. Roberts. - from the Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, Third Series, Vol. XXVIII, Sec. II, 1934. - with an inscription to Gwendolen Merrin from Charles G. D. Roberts

7. Twilight over Shaugamauk and three other poems / by Sir Charles G. D. Roberts. - [Toronto] : The Ryerson Press, 1937. - with an inscription to Gwen and "Jimmie" by Charles G. D. Roberts

8. Canada speaks of Britain and other poems of the war / by Sir Charles G. D. Roberts. - Toronto : The Ryerson Press, 1941. - with an inscription to Gwendolen Massey by Charles G. D. Roberts

9. More reminiscences of Bliss Carman / by Charles G. D. Roberts. - offprint, The Dalhousie Review, [19-?]

10. Charles G. D. Roberts recital announcements (2)

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