The “Annals of Trumpington” was a fictional, satirical story written and published anonymously by Dugald C. McNab. Anecdotal evidence suggests that “Trumpington” was a fictionalized version of either Renfrew (County) or perhaps Perth, Ontario. It may have been published in serial form in a newspaper (possibly the Perth or Bathurst Courier?). No printed copy has ever come to light.
Scope and Content
This file consists of:
1. Photocopy of a letter by Hugh MacMillan (of the Ontario Archives) to Ottawa Mayor Charlotte Whitton, dated Feb. 3, 1966. In this letter, the “Annals” are not mentioned separately.
2. Photocopy of letter by Hugh MacMillan (of the Ontario Archives) to Charlotte Whitton, dated December 9, 1971, in which the “Annals of Trumpington” [by Dugald C. McNab] are mentioned.
3. Photocopy of letter by Charlotte Whitton to Hugh MacMillan, dated August 3, 1972 in reply to the above letter, in which she says that she has a “loaned” typescript of the “Annals of Trumpington” [by Dugald C. McNab], but will not part with it or allow the reproduction.
4. Photocopy of handwritten letter by Jack Brown of Mallorytown, Ont. to Hugh MacMillan (of the Ontario Archives), dated January 24, 1975, referring to Hugh’s publication in “Canadian Notes...”, regarding the “Annals of Trumpington”. Brown did not have a copy.
5. Photocopy of letter by Hugh MacMillan to Jack Brown of Mallorytown, dated March 25, 1975. in reply to the above letter. Still, the “Annals” were not “found”, but MacMillan was hoping they would show up at Queen’s University, in Charlotte Whitton’s papers. Also mentioned: Radenhurst papers.
6. Photocopy of letter by Ian E. Wilson, Archivist, Queen’s University, to Hugh MacMillan (of the Ontario Archives) dated April 25, 1975, in reply to MacMillan’s letter to Jack Brown, re the Charlotte Whitton papers and the “Annals” or “Chronicles of McNab”. Note: Missing as of May 2008
7. Handwritten note by Peter Hessel re Thomas Radenhurst.
8. Photocopy from Ian Wilson, Queen’s University and City of Kingston Archivist, to Hugh MaacMillan, dated April 25, 1975. At the time, the “Annals” had not yet been identified among Charlotte Whitton’s papers.
9. Photocopy of an article by Mrs. J.L. McDugall entitled “Renfrew in the Early Days” published in “Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa”, Transactions vol. 1 (1901). On page 56, the author writes: “No history, however short, is complete without an account of the literature of the period. Probably the most important effort made in this county was the ‘Annals of Trumpington’, a clever parody on Samuel Warren’s “Ten Thousand a Year”. In it every prominent man in Renfrew and Lanark was written about and generally ridiculed. Instead of praise, the clever author was taken up for libel — the very first libel suit in the county. This seems rather a barbarous way to treat budding genius ...” [see Item 10].
10. Photocopy of a handwritten note by Peter Hessel regarding Samuel Warren’s “Ten Thousand a Year” (see Item 9).
11. Photocopies of pages 316-317 of McNab — The Township”, re the “Annals”.
12. 40-page typescript of “The Annals of Trumpington by Professor Nelson Dumbedykes, Castigator General”. “Published in Boston by Fitzgammon & Son, 1854”. The last page consists of “advertisements”. Since the first of these ads refers to Renfrew County, it is perhaps more likely that the fictional persons and events are based on Renfrew County rather than Perth. On page 3, the author says that Trumpington is in Nova Scotia, although Dugald C. McNab seems to have had no connection to that province.
13. Red booklet entitled “Perth Rerumoured or The Annals of T ... Revisited”, a Souvenir from Perth, Ontario, 1991, with “introduction and warning” by Duncan Meikle. Published by the Bookworm, Perth, 1991. The introduction provides some interesting background to this mysterious piece of writing. The rest of the booklet is a reprint of the text of “The Annals of Trumpington”. Purchased from the Bookworm bookstore in Perth by Peter Hessel and donated to the Archives.