George Thomas Lanigan (10 December 1845 or 10 December 1846 - 5 February 1886) (variously Lannigan) was a Canadian journalist and poet.

Biography

George Lanigan was born in 1845 or 1846 in

Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, Quebec Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu is a municipality in southwestern Quebec, Canada, on the Richelieu River in the Regional County Municipality of La Vallée-du-Richelieu. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 1,643. Demographics Populatio ...

. He studied in Montreal and worked as a telegrapher before he became a writer and journalist. In 1867, Lanigan founded the ''Free Lance'', a weekly satirical magazine. At the same time, Lanigan worked at the

Montreal Gazette The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...

as a sports editor, where he met

Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan (July 18, 1848 – January 28, 1938), known as Sir Hugh Graham between 1908 and May 1917, was a Canadian newspaper publisher. Biography Born in Athelstan, Canada East (now Hinchinbrooke, Huntingdon County, Qu ...

. Lord Atholstan became a business partner for the Free Lance from late 1868 on, until it ceased publication in March 1869. On 16 January 1869, they, perhaps together with journalist Thomas Marshall, created the ''Evening Star'', which changed its name to the ''Star'' in 1877 and ''

The Montreal Star ''The Montreal Star'' was an English-language Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It closed in 1979 in the wake of an eight-month pressmen's strike. It was Canada's largest newspaper until the 1950s and remained the domina ...

'' in 1881. It was a one-cent daily specializing in sensational news and scandals, and did not win favour with the educated public of Montreal. Lanigan sold his share in the ''Star'' and moved to the United States, first working for the ''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publi ...

'' and then moving on to Philadelphia where he worked for ''

The Philadelphia Record ''The Philadelphia Record'' was a daily newspaper published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1877 until 1947. It became among the most circulated papers in the city and was at some points the circulation leader. History ''The Public Record'' ...

''. Lanigan married Bertha Spink, editor of the

Ladies Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States. In 18 ...

, and the sister of

Alfred Henry Spink Alfred Henry Spink (August 24, 1854 – May 27, 1928) was a Canadian-born American baseball writer and club organizer based mainly in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1886, he established a weekly newspaper, ''The Sporting News'' (TSN), that emerged from ...

. They had four children, including baseball statistician

Ernest Lanigan Ernest John Lanigan (January 4, 1873 in Chicago, Illinois – February 6, 1962 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American sportswriter and historian on the subject of baseball. He was considered the premier baseball statistician and histori ...

, and newspaper sports editor and baseball writer Harold Lanigan. He died in Pennsylvania in 1886. Lanigan's granddaughter was Philadelphia composer Frances McCollin.Annette Maria DiMedio
''Frances McCollin: Her Life and Music''
(Scarecrow Press 1990).

Works

*1864: ''Canadian Ballads'' (translations of French-Canadian ballads) *1878: ''Fables out of the World'' (under the pen name George Washington Aesop)

Poetry

In ''A Threnody'' Lanigan laments the death of the Akond of Swat. The poem begins: What, what, what, What’s the news from Swat? Sad news, Bad news, Comes by the cable led Through the Indian Ocean’s bed, Through the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Med- Iterranean—he’s dead; The Ahkoond is dead! Just as

Edward Lear Edward Lear (12 May 1812 – 29 January 1888) was an English artist, illustrator, musician, author and poet, who is known mostly for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limerick (poetry), limericks, a form he popularised. ...

remarked - "Who or why or which or what//is the Akond of Swat", so Lanigan plays with the title more than the event. Similarly in his ''Dirge of the Moolla of Kotal: Rival of the Akhoond of Swat'' beginning: Alas, unhappy land: ill-fated spot Kotal--though where or what On earth Kotal is, the bard forgot; Further than this indeed he knoweth not-- It borders upon Swat!

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lanigan, George 19th-century Canadian poets Canadian male poets People from Montérégie 1840s births 1886 deaths Journalists from Quebec Writers from Quebec Anglophone Quebec people 19th-century Canadian journalists Canadian male journalists 19th-century Canadian male writers