Mrs. Traill

Catharine Parr Traill (born Strickland; 9 January 1802 - 29 August 1899) was an English-Canadian author and naturalist who wrote about life in Canada, particularly what is now Ontario (then the colony of Upper Canada). In the 1830s Canada covered an area considerably smaller than today. At the time, most of Upper Canada had not been explored by European settlers . Throughout her long life, Traill wrote to generate income in support of her family . She wrote 24 books covering topics ranging from her life as a settler in Ontario, and natural history, especially botany. Traill is considered a pioneer of Canada's natural history . Through her writing she related the colonial experience and described the natural environment of Upper Canada for English readers. Traill is considered an amateur botanist, because at the time, it was not possible for women to hold professional, paid positions. In 1912, Carrie Derick became Canada's first woman science professor, in Botany and Genetics, at McGill University . Catharine Parr Strickland was born in the district of Rotherhithe in Southwark (then in Surrey, today part of Greater London) in 1802, fifth daughter of Thomas Strickland and Elizabeth Homer. She grew up in East Anglia, first near Bungay, and later Southwold and was educated at home. After Thomas Strickland died in 1818, Catharine and her sisters turned to writing and editorial work as the main source of family income.