1.) Mazo de la Roche was the daughter of William and Alberta Lundy Roche. Why did Mazo change her name to de la Roche?

Mazo claims in her autobiography, Ringing in the Changes (1957), that her original family name was de la Roche but that her grandfather, John dropped the “de la” when he changed his Catholic faith to please his future father in law, Jacob Bryan, a staunch English Methodist. Sarah Bryan and John Roche married in January of 1849 continuing to use the name Roche.

According to Bianca de la Roche, wife of Mazo’s adopted son Renée, her late husband’s mother told him that their name had been changed by her Uncle Frances (known as Uncle Francois and nicknamed ‘Marquis’ for his french mannerisms) who was a scholar and dropped the “de la” to be more common. According to Ronald Hambleton’s book, The Secrets of Jalna (1972) , there is evidence that Francis used the name de la Roche at least once while attending university in 1881.

While Mazo seemed to have reclaimed her original family name, many felt that she was putting on airs as “de la” denotes descent from aristocracy. Mazo even claimed that her family descended from aristocrats guillotined in the French Revolution. Mazo, and later her son Renée, often wore a ring with the family motto and crest. The crest depicts a falcon clutching a rock with the latin motto “Mon Dieu est ma Roche”
(My God is my Rock). This ring is visible in the picture to the right? and still belongs to the family.

Perhaps, as Daniel Bratton suggests in his book, Thirty Two Short Views of Mazo de la Roche (1996), Mazo de la Roche of Forest Hill represented a life of priviledge while Maisie Roche of Newmarket represented a life of hardship and struggle, a life that she transcended and overcame.

2.) Mazo de la roche bought “Trail Cottage” from the Harris Family in Clarkson. Did a friendship develop between Mazo and the Harris Family?

The Benares Collection includes numerous inscriptions in books Mazo gave to various Harris family members over the years, usually signed "all my love", also many cards and other gifts from over the years. For example, "To Dear Mrs. Harris with My Love, Mazo de la Roche December 1925" inscribed in a copy of "Low Life a Comedy in One Act" that she wrote. Also, Mazo's  Portrait of a Dog inscribed "For dear Mrs. Harris, with love from Mazo de la Roche, Trail Cottage, October 1930"

In June 1926, Mary Harris celebrated a birthday. The following card comes from the Benares Collection. The picture is Mazo. The text reads:

I am delighted that you learned to swim. I have learned too this summer. It’s so funny when one gets a mouthful of briny water, and it’s lovely to run along the smooth sands in one's bathing suit, and to find a star fish perhaps or a crab or the pink empty shell of a lobster! I wonder if you will like this picture.

Love to everybody from Mazo de la Roche

Mazo de la Roche and Dorothy Livesay: Tory meets Radical

Indeed, some teachers I met in Dusseldorf told me that during the war Whiteoaks was the treasured, secret possession of the anti- fascist intellectuals in the town. Together with the BBC it was English; it reminded them of a free way of life. To say that I lived next door to its author was to be given free entry into people's hearts; it loosened tongues.
- Dorothy Livesay

The true work of criticism of Mazo de la Roche as Canada's most prolific and certainly most fascinating novelist has yet to be done.
- Dorothy Livesay

It has become a truism these days to assume that Canadian Toryism and any form of leftist political thought are at total odds and have nothing to do with one another. I have, in previous articles, highlighted how Stephen Leacock had some affinity with leftist thought at McGill and, equally so, how George Grant had much affinity with the New Left in the 1960s.

Mazo de la Roche (1879-1961) has been forgotten by many Canadians today, but in her prime, she was one of the most respected and adored novelists both in Canada and outside of Canada. The Jalna series expanded into 16 novels, and Jalna won the much coveted Atlantic-Little, Brown Award in 1927. The CBC produced The Whiteoaks of Jalna in 1972, and in 1994, the Jalna series was produced in France for sixteen million dollars. De la Roche also wrote many other collections of short stories and novels such as Explorers of the Dawn (1922), Possession (1923), Growth of a Man( 1938) and The Song of Lambert (1955). There is little doubt that Mazo de la Roche lamented the passing away of an older, nobler, more staid and settled way of life, and in an age that is dominated by change, mobility and uprootedness, the Jalna tradition seems out of place. The publication of Daniel Bratton's Thirty-Two Short Views of Mazo de la Roche: A Biographical Essay (1996) does much to revive and, Phoenix like, resurrect the waning image and vision of Mazo de la Roche. It is important to note that Mazo de la Roche is buried at St. George's Anglican church at Sibbald Point just a few feet from where Stephen Leacock is buried. Both Leacock and De la Roche stand very much within the Canadian High Tory tradition.

Dorothy Livesay was known most of her poetic and literary life as a radical and often associated with various forms of socialism and communism. Her brief, vivid and incomplete autobiography, Journey with My Selves: A Memoir (1991) tells, in graphic and never to be forgotten detail, much about her personal literary and political journey. The autobiographical tale is a classic of Canadian literary and political life. What, we might ask, has Mazo de la Roche to do with Dorothy Livesay? What does de la Roche the Tory have in common with Livesay the radical? Is such a meeting common within the Canadian political experience? The answer to the latter question, of course, is yes, and Livesay went out of her way many times to defend de la Roche when all the liberal literary critics attempted to dismiss her.

When Mazo de la Roche lived in Trail Cottage in Clarkson, Ontario (between 1924-1928), the Livesays lived just across the road from Mazo and Caroline Clement. Dorothy Livesay was in her mid to late teens at the time, and Mazo de la Roche was often at the Livesay home. The Livesay home was a bustling place in which many of the up and coming Canadian literati in Canada tested their mettle and wares. Both of Dorothy?s parents were front and centre in the literary and media world of Canada, and the Livesay home was very much a literary salon of sorts. De la Roche was still very much an unknown Canadian author at the time, and she spent many an hour and day bent over paper with creative pen in hand. All this changed, though, with the Atlantic award in 1927. The Jalna tradition had been launched, Mazo de la Roche was catapulted to prominence and the final book in the Jalna series was not completed until 1960. The Jalna series is, probably, the finest and fullest epic tradition written in Canada, and it is rather sad that so few Canadians know Mazo de la Roche or have read the Jalna novels (about the grandeur and follies of the Whiteoaks family).

I mentioned above that it became rather trendy for many self styled intellectuals to mock or ignore Mazo de la Roche, but Dorothy Livesay was always there to come to De la Roche's defense. In the winter edition of Canadian Literature (1965), Dorothy Livesay wrote a rather lengthy article on Mazo de la Roche. De la Roche had been dead for four years, and the critics were making sport of her. Livesay's article, "The Making of Jalna: A Reminiscence" walks the reader into and through a much more positive view of both Mazo de la Roche and the inspiration and setting of the Jalna tradition. Many is the personal story and tale told by Livesay, and many is the warm and affectionate memory. There are no hard or mean spirited things said about de la Roche, and Livesay highlights the good in the vision that de la Roche was trying to portray in her many novels, plays and short stories. In the spring edition of Canadian Literature (1967), Livesay came to de la Roche's defence yet once again. The publication of a biography on Mazo de la Roche by Ronald Hambleton had been published, and Livesay's review, "Mazo Explored", both applauds the fact a biography is now in the hands of readers, but questions the depth of Hambleton's approach to such a fine and exquisite Canadian novelist.

The 20th century witnessed the rise of a form of literary criticism that was more concerned with the author than the creative work of the artist. Works of art were read and interpreted through the lens of the artist's life, dispositions and faults and failings of personality. A classic discussion of this highly charged debate is the missive by E.M. Tillyard and C.S.Lewis, The Personal Heresy: A Controversy (1939). Mazo de la Roche suffered from this approach by some critics, and again it was Livesay who came to the aid and assistance of de la Roche. Livesay's article, in Impulse (1973), "Getting it Straight", goes after those who abuse and misread the Jalna tradition and Mazo de la Roche's other novels. Dorothy Livesay was defending the importance of female authors as much as defending good literature and the worldview and ethos that good literature evokes.

Livesay ended her article, "The Making of Jalna: A Reminiscence" with these telling reflections. "My last talk with Mazo de la Roche was a gentle one, on the personal family level of the early days. The war was over and I had a little girl of my own whom Mazo and her half sister wanted to see. Miss Clement, alas, was nearly blind by then, and Mazo was the one who must read to her. We were invited to tea in their charming Toronto house, glittering throughout with coloured glass. They spoke with particular affection of my father, the erratic 'Squire of Woodlot', and of the thousands of daddodils and narcissi he had planted under the white birches at Clarkson. But by now our beloved woodland had been cut up, paved, made into suburbia; and we lamented the old days in Ontario when people did live as English landed gentry".

It is rare these days to see a radical poet and political thinker come to the aid of a High Tory, but Dorothy Livesay did this for Mazo de la Roche. Canada has such a civic and civil tradition, and, in many ways, Livesay and de la Roche embody such an sane and civilized way in our era and ethos of political correctness and culture wars. May we learn something from such grace and graciousness.

Ron Dart teaches in the department of political science/philosophy/religious studies at University College of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC

Daniel Bratton responds to A Children's Book Author in Academe (06/29/06)

I was appalled by the wording of the abstract for Heather Kirk's "Caroline Clement: The Hidden Life of Mazo de la Roche's Collaborator." In particular, the claim that Joan Givner presented de la Roche as "a child molester who victimized her cousin and life-long companion, Caroline Clement" is a gross misrepresentation and oversimplification of Givner's argument in her biography of de la Roche. I am distressed that a distinguished writer who has contributed so much to the study of Canadian literature as both a scholar and professor was summarily dismissed in such a sensationalistic fashion.

After reading Kirk's actual article, which in fact contains a good deal of interesting new information about Caroline Clement's family background and year of birth, I remain baffled as to why Canadian Literature has sanctioned this sort of critical mudslinging. Furthermore, as the author of Thirty-Two Short Views of Mazo de la Roche, a biographical essay published by ECW Press in 1996, I am dismayed by Kirk's claim that my work built "unquestioningly" on Givner's biography. Givner employed a feminist critique, a methodology completely different from my own. Indeed, while Kirk lambastes Givner for her representation of the relationship between de la Roche and Clement as lesbian, I never referred to the two cousins as gay. I am certainly not denying that Givner's work, a groundbreaking critical reassessment of de la Roche and her canon, profoundly influenced my thinking about my subject; however, to state that I followed her biography "unquestioningly" ignores what the jacket copy describes as my "multifaceted, postmodern narrative" approach to life writing—a completely separate literary enterprise.

Kirk has done an admirable job tracking down the minutiae of the de la Roche and Clement genealogy, introducing a convincing argument pertaining to the respective ages of the two cousins as well, but her article has very little to say about de la Roche's writing, other than that Caroline played a bigger part in it than has generally been acknowledged. Instead of repeatedly setting Givner up as a straw (wo)man, Kirk would have been better advised to pay more attention to the texts, and to developing a critical apparatus that would have justified the inclusion of so much genealogy. Her dismissal of Givner's contention "that de la Roche made 'gender problems' central to Finch's nervous breakdowns" suggests the shortcomings of a critique apparently based on rancour. Mazo openly acknowledged in Ringing the Changes that she "was one with Finch" and possessed a far greater affinity with him than with Renny Whiteoak, and it would take a very determined (or obtuse) reader indeed not to see Finch's nervous collapses and attempted suicide as being rooted in an ongoing crisis of sexual identify.

Canadian Literature published Heather Kirk's article; Oxford University Press published Joan Givner's book.

Yours truly,
Daniel Bratton, Professor of English Doshisha University

The following letter comes from the Benares Collection.

Birchwood Drive
February 6th, 1972

Dear Trixie,

It was nice hearing from you; about the “Jalna Series”! When Mazo de la Roche came to Clarkson and bought a lot in my subdivision she wrote the 1st book called “Jalna” and won a $10,000 prize.  She took “Benares” pretty much for the ‘locale’ of her story, but not any of the people, they are fictitious, the only thing at all like (us) was the fact that my grandfather Harris was an army officer when he came out to Canada with the “24 Foot”, and had also been in India.  So many people hearing about the House “Benares” being “Jalna” in Mazo’s books used to bother me very much wanting to see it and take pictures, and various people have put articles in the papers since Mazo’s books have become so famous. Most of them have not been the truth. One man Ronald Hambleton wrote a book called “Mazo de la Roche of Jalna” that is full of lies, he even had the Livesays (who had a house in my subdivision) living in “Benares” and, said that my great-grandfather’s portrait which hangs over the fire-place in “Benares” was the Livesay’s !! great-grand father !! and so on !!

My grandfather Capt. James Harris came out to live in Clarkson in 1837, and bought the house (which wasn’t quite finished at the time) from a Mr. Newe who had built it of stone and who lived in a tiny log cabin near the spring. When my grandfather asked him (if) he had named it, Mr. Newe said he had called in “Benares” and my grandfather said “I’ve been in ‘Benares’ India, so ‘Benares’ it will stay”. 

This first house was burnt when my Dad was about 14 years old and the present one was built in 1857.  They had lived in a 2nd  one built of wood but it was burnt, before building the brick one in 1857.

The house they have in Jalna is not quite the same:  it has pillars instead of a verandah and posts.

I’m enclosing 2 coloured snaps which I thought you might like to have – “A bit of the Old days”

If you are ever up again do drop in and see me.

With love
affectionately

A review on January 18, 2011 of a list of 617 books referring the Mazo de la Roche at Amazon.com uncovered the following books that appear to be non-fictional accounts of Mazo de La Roche’s life. It is a matter of particular interest that the “facts” recorded in many of these books (including Mazo de la Roche’s own autobiography) contradict independently verifiable facts e.g. Mazo de la Roche’s date of birth.

1. An autobiography: Ringing the Changes by Mazo de le Roche

2. Several books by Ronald Hambleton.

3. Mazo de la Roche: The Hidden Life by Joan Givner

4. 32 Short views of Mazo de la Roche by Daniel Bratton

5. Mazo de la Roche by George Hendrick.

6. Mazo de la Roche by Edward Weeks.

7. People from Newmarket by Books LLC.

8. The Clear Spirit by Mary Quayle.

9. Literary Celebrity in Canada by Lorraine May York.

10. Biography de la Roche, Mazo by Thomson Gale

11. Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer by Heather Kirk.

12. Dramaturge Canadien by Livres Groupe

13. Femme de lettres Canadiene by Livres Groupe

14. Romancier Canadien by Livres Groupe.

Mazo de la Roche lived at Seckington House when she first settled  in England. She describes the property in her autobiography: Ringing the Changes. Before returning to Canada 10 years later, she managed to live in 33 different places.

The following photo and message were received from Janet Childs the current owner of the house.

Hello Fran,

I am sorry I have taken so long to reply; of course you can add the photos to Mazo de la Roche website.

The chimneys of Seckington house had to be taken down because when the air force built the airfield at the back of Seckington House they found that they were in the way of the flight path, which was a shame because the house just deteriorated from then on.

We have given up on the idea of rebuilding the house as we are both in our sixty’s now and would find it to much, its time to wind down and enjoy life.

Mazo mentioned Sam Chambers in her book Ringing the Changes.  I have spoken to an old man who helps me in the garden, he new Sam and his family and he said that Sam did all the taxi work around here, the only problem was that he was quite scruffy and didn’t smell to sweet either. J

Then there was William Chamber’s, he was a very dapper (posh) fellow who would be charming to all the lady’s, he was always very smart and like Mazo said in her book he would always wear a flower in his lapel, he made his living selling cattle.  Neither Sam or William every married they had two more brothers one actually built a lovely new village hall in 1939, he was called Richard, and he was quite wealthy because he owned a lot of the houses and farms around Winkleigh.  The other brother Sidney married a lady called Ivy, and I did actually know her, she use to do some amazing lace work, and she used to sing in a band with her husband in the village hall (built by he brother).  They also had a sister who had a clothes shop in the village.

The lodge that Mazo spoke about is still at the end of our lane, I have been trying to find an old photo.  If there is time and I hope to find it.  The lane still has some of the old oak trees coming down the avenue.

I believe  the maid she had working for her was a very good friend of mine she lived about 10 minutes walk away, she was called Ada , she went on to become a nanny looking after some children for a local farmer,  he had three girls and she stayed there until her death about 7 years ago.

Caroline had a friend called George (Jarge), he sold antiques in Sticklepath, which is a small village just outside of Okehampton which is about 11 miles from here, so I expect that is were they brought some of there lovely things to put in the house.  There is an old foundry in Sticklepath called Finch’s foundry, did Mazo write a book about Finch’s Fortune?  I wondered if there was any connection.

She spoke about the dreadful winds here in the winter, well we still get them howling around our house, the wind comes right off Dartmoor, she also spoke about the mud, wind and rain.  Well that is still exactly the same. and I hate it as well.  But then the spring time arrives and all the lovely daffodils come up, and it make everyone forget the winter.

Mazo spoke of the Daffodils in the orchard and I am sure we still have the same ones, they have lots of frilly petticoats in the centre of the daffs, I have never seen any like it before, I dig some up every year and transplant some to increase our stock.

Mazo must have had a similar view which I now have looking towards the moors; it is spectacular, every day you get a different view with the mist, clouds rain and snow, (and sunshine sometimes) all rolling across the moor.

Regards

Janet