About Janet Eckford

Janet was raised on an Ontario homestead outside Walkerton by her father John Eckford.

Eckford came to Canada from Scotland with his three children in the mid-1800s after Janet's mother died of typhoid. Janet McCrae was an avid reader, who, remarkably for a pioneer woman of the 19th century in Canada, was literate in both Greek and Latin. John McCrae had a close relationship with his mother throughout his life. This closeness can be seen in the sheer volume of letters to "Dearest Mater", which he sometimes penned twice a day. Although John's love of literature is often attributed to the influence of William Tytler, a notable local school teacher, it is equally plausible that his passion for books was the result of the influence of Janet McCrae.

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