"S. Frances Harrison" [Susie Frances Harrison, aka "Seranus"] (1859-1935) by John Garvin, (1859-1935)
Garvin, John William, ed. Canadian Poets [Page 123] S. Frances Harrison
(Seranus) EV. W ILLIAM C LARK , D.C.L., in 'The Magazine of Poetry,' 1896. [Page 124] S. FRANCES HARRISON is one of our greater poets whose work has not yet had the recognition in Canada it merits. For unique originality and interest, her pen pictures, in villanelle form, of French-Canadian character and life, stand in almost as distinctive a class as Dr. Drummond 's habitant poems, and like the latter they were produced from first-hand knowledge. Susie Frances Riley was born in Toronto, February 24th, 1859, and is of Irish-Canadian extraction, her father being the late John Byron Riley, for many years proprieter of the 'Revere House,' King St. West. She was educated in a private school for girls, and later, for two years, in Montreal. In her twenty-first year, she married Mr. J. W. F. Harrison, of Bristol, England, a professional musician, at that time organist of St. George's Church, Montreal. In those days, and later, Mrs. Harrison was well known as a professional pianist and vocalist, and indeed her proficiency as a musician has since had expression in compositions of worth. In 1883, while living in Ottawa, where her husband was musical director of the Ottawa Ladies College and organist and choirmaster of Christ Church Cathedral, she wrote and composed a Song of Welcome for the initial public appearance of the Marquis of Lansdowne; and she has since composed many songs, and an entire opera, words and music. | |
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