Jean McKishnie Blewett (pen name, Katherine Kent; 4 November 1862 – 19 August 1934) was a Canadian journalist, author and poet.

Biography

Blewett was born Janet McKinshie in Scotia,

Kent County, Ontario Kent County, area 2,458 km2 (949 sq mi) is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. The county was created in 1792 and named by John Graves Simcoe in honour of the English County. The county is in an alluvial plain betwee ...

in 1862 to Scottish immigrants (some sources say 1872).

Eve Brodlique Eve Brodlique Summers (, Brodlique; pen names, Willice Wharton, Peg Woffington, Evelyn; 1867 – 10 October 1949) was a British-born Canadian/American author and journalist. One of the best-known newspaper women on the Continent, she filled every ...

was her cousin. She attended St. Thomas Collegiate and in 1879, married Bassett Blewett and published her first novel, ''Out of the Depths''. In 1896, she won a prize from the ''

Chicago Times-Herald The ''Chicago Times'' was a newspaper in Chicago from 1854 to 1895, when it merged with the ''Chicago Herald'', to become the ''Chicago Times-Herald''. The ''Times-Herald'' effectively disappeared in 1901 when it merged with the ''Chicago Record' ...

'' for her poem "Spring". Blewett was a regular contributor to '' The Globe'', a

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

newspaper and in 1898, became editor of its Homemakers Department. In 1919, assisted by the

Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire The Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE) is a women's charitable organization based in Canada. It provides scholarships, bursaries, book prizes, and awards, and pursues other philanthropic and educational projects in various communities ac ...

, she published a booklet titled ''Heart Stories'' to benefit war charities. During this time, she regularly lectured on topics such as

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

and

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. She used the pseudonym "Katherine Kent" for some of her writing. In 1925, Blewett was compelled by ill-health to retire her editorship. For two years, she lived with a daughter in

Lethbridge, Alberta Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to ...

, before returning to Toronto in 1927. She died in 1934 in Chatham, Ontario. After her death, fellow female journalist Bride Broder wrote in tribute: Her brother, Archie P. McKishnie, was also a noted writer.

Selected works

*''Out of the depths'' (novel). 1879 or 1890. * * * * *

Notes

References

External links

* * *
Blewett, Jean (McKishnie) National Historic Person

Parks Canada Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...

Blewett
in SFU Digitized Collections, Simon Fraser University, Coll. Canada's Early Women Writers (with photograph) {{DEFAULTSORT:Blewett, Jean 1862 births 1934 deaths Canadian women poets Canadian women novelists Canadian women journalists Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Canadian suffragists Canadian temperance activists 19th-century Canadian novelists 19th-century Canadian poets 20th-century Canadian poets 20th-century Canadian women writers 19th-century Canadian women writers Pseudonymous women writers Canadian women non-fiction writers 19th-century pseudonymous writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers