James Macdonald Oxley (October 22, 1855 – September 9, 1907) was a Canadian writer of juvenile fiction.
Oxley was born in
Halifax,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
, the son of the merchant James Black Oxley and Ellen Macdonald. He was educated at Halifax Grammar School and
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
where he graduated with a B.A. in 1874, earning honors in mental and moral philosophy.
During this time he served as assistant editor for the ''Dalhousie Gazette''.
He was called to the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar (u ...
in 1874,
studied law at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
in 1876–77, then was awarded a LL.B. from a Halifax University in 1878.
He practised the legal profession in Halifax for five years before joining the Ottawa
Department of Marine and Fisheries
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sc ...
as a legal adviser.
On June 10, 1880 he was married to Mary Morrow.
From 1880–83, in addition to his regular job, he worked as editor for the ''Nova Scotia Decisions''. In 1882 he edited ''Admiralty Decisions''.
Oxley was a reporter at the House of Assembly from 1881–83.
He became a manager for the
Sun Life Assurance Company in 1891.
During his leisure moments,
he began writing a series of juvenile fiction books for boys. His works were based on historical events in Canada and the U.S., with a focus on travel and adventure.
Works
* ''Bert Lloyd's Boyhood: A Story Of Nova Scotia'', (1889)
* ''Up Among The Ice-Floes'', (1890)
* ''Les Hommes Du Jour - Le Principal Grant
ith L-H Taché', (c1891)
* ''Les Hommes Du Jour - Sir Charles Tupper
ith L-H Taché', (c1891)
* ''The Chore Boy of Camp Kippewa'', (1891)
* ''The Wreckers of Sable Island'', (1891)
* ''Fergus MacTavish; or, Portage And Prairie'', (c1892)
* ''Fergus MacTavish; or, A Boy's Will'', (1893)
* ''Archie of Athabasca'', (1893)
* ''Diamond Rock'', (1893)
* ''The Good Ship "Gryphon"'', (1893)
* ''Baffling the Blockade'', (1894)
* ''The Young Nor'wester'', (1894)
* ''The Young Woodsman'', (1895)
* ''My Strange Rescue And Other Stories Of Sport...In Canada'', (1895)
* ''In The Wilds Of The West Coast'', (1895)
* ''The Boy Tramps; or, Across Canada (also titled: Two Boy Tramps)'', (1896)
* ''The Romance of Commerce'', (1896)
* ''On The World's Roof'', (1896)
* ''The Hero of Start Point'', (1896)
* ''The Boy Tramps, or Across Canada'', (1896)
* ''The Wreckers Of Sable Island'', (1897)
* ''In The Swing Of The Sea'', (1897)
* ''Making His Way'', (1898)
* ''Standing The Test'', (1898)
* ''Fife And Drum At Louisbourg'', (1899)
* ''Ti-Ti-Pu: A Boy Of Red River'', (1900)
* ''From Rung to Rung'', (1900)
* ''Terry's Trials And Triumphs'', (1900)
* ''L'hasa at last: a journey to the forbidden city of Tibet'', (1900)
* ''North Overland With Franklin'', (1901)
* ''Norman's Nugget'', (1901)
* ''With Rogers on the Frontier'', (1902)
* ''Donalblane Of Darien'', (1902)
* ''In Paths Of Peril: A Boy's Adventures In Nova Scotia'', (1903)
* ''My Strange Rescue'', (1903)
* ''The Family on Wheels'', (1905)
* ''A Christmas Portfolio
dited', (?)
* ''Archie M'Kenzie: The Young Nor'wester'', (?)
* ''A Boy Of The Banks'', (?)
Sources:
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Canadiana
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxley, James Macdonald
1855 births
1907 deaths
Canadian children's writers
Canadian lawyers
Dalhousie University alumni
Schulich School of Law alumni
Writers from Halifax, Nova Scotia