@heritagelady
I was born to write about history
“My parents instilled in me a love of history by visiting historic sites on our vacations and telling me of the history they had lived. My life became enriched when I married the son of a naval officer.” – Helen Edwards
I have been writing since my elementary school days when I penned plays and short stories for my classmates; I have been producing copy ever since. I am a life-long historian and have written on a variety of subjects, but family history is one of my passions.
In my new book, “Dutchy’s Diaries: Life as a Canadian Naval Officer, In His Own Words: 1915-1929,” you are able to read verbatim transcriptions of journals kept by John Crispo Inglis “Dutchy” Edwards, my father-in-law, as he served on different naval ships. They are rare first-person accounts of naval life enhanced by material which I researched and added to give context to the journal material.
My first book, “The History of Professional Hockey in Victoria, BC: 1911-2011,” was a thank-you to the many professional players who entertained Victoria citizens over a century. It took eight years to research and write and now finds a home in the Hockey Hall of Fame Archives.
I have been researching my personal family tree for over 40 years and am now working on the Edwards side of the family. Each new day brings discoveries, but none can top the day that I discovered these journals hidden in an old trunk in my basement. There is an unexpected connection between my two books as my father-in-law (a world class athlete) writes about going to hockey games in the 1920s and makes comments on the players.
History comes alive in this rare first-person account of life as a naval officer in the Royal Canadian Navy during a critical time in the emergence of Canada onto the world stage. Transcribing and researching these journals has been some of the most
thought-provoking work of my life. After reading these journals, I know so much
more about my father-in-law and understand the life my late husband lived as
his son. I did not meet Dutchy until 1969 when he was retired, so I knew little
about his personal life when he was young. He was quite a character!
I am thrilled to share his story with the world.
I’d like to know what you think about Dutchy and his journey. Keeping in touch with me is easy. Contact Me.
