W. Lacey Amy aka Luke Allan

Luke Allan

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'Luke Allan' is an alias of W(illiam). Lacey Amy, born in Sydenham, Ontario, Canada in 1877. He was a popular journalist and novelist.

Early Life

Born 9 June 1877, he was the youngest son of Mary Ann Balfour and Thomas Amy, a Methodist Minister. There were four siblings[1], with Jetret R. 1870, Wilber B T 1873 and Sarah Cyrilda 1875[1], His parents relocated frequently within Ontario with the Ministry.

Lacey Amy was educated chiefly at Guelph Collegiate and Victoria College, University of Toronto; he [2]graduated in 1899[3]

In 1903 he founded Medicine Hat Times, as editor and owner for three years[4]

22 March 1905 he married Lilian Eva Payne (Amy)[5]

It has been reported that he was "proprietor of newspaper until about 1909"[6]

In 1916 worked as a war correspondent for 'a Canadian newspaper'.[7]

He returned to Canada in 1919, writing articles for Daily Mail and Evening Standard in England.[8]

Productive Years

The couple lived seven years in England,[9] no doubt travelling frequently.

Amy travelled extensively in Europe and Africa for seven subsequent years[10]

The story 'A Triple Novelist' [11] reports that '...a third author, prolific and popular, whose identity, in Mr. Amy's words, "no one knows but myself and my agent." '

Literary agent was A.M, Heath of London[12]

Frequent contributor to Saturday Night'[13] also travelled extensively in Canada's remote regions.[14] He gained fame for his vivid descriptions of the people and the geography he described.

Lived in England, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and North Africa.

Translated into 6 or 7 languages incl. French and Dutch.[15]

Wintered in Florida[16]

He was a member of the Savage Club and Institut Litteraire et Artistique de France.[17]

"During this time (1923-1940), in addition to his novels, he was a syndicated columnist for 13 publications. In his prime, Amy's productivity was prodigious."[18]

member of the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto for 50 years.[19]

His first wife was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire, as supervisor of 3500 women in a munitions factory.[20]

His second wife was Mrs. Gladys Burston Miller, married 22 Oct 1941.[21]

Amy died in Pinellas, Florida November 1962[22] and is buried in Toronto[23]. His will and testament has not been located by this editor.

Bibliography

1910 Portrait of Medicine Hat in The Canadian Magazine v34 #1 and he published 15 more between 1910 Feb and May 1915.[24]

1911 January published Blue Pete short story in The Canadian Magazine.[25]

1913 The Blue Wolf~ originally was by W. Lacey Amy. A subsequent edition was by 'Luke Allan'.

1916 Sept. onward he wrote more articles in The Canadain Magazine and Saturday Night[26]

1921 Blue Pete, Half Breed. was the first of 19 Blue Pete stories, last in 1954

1930 The Masked Stranger is the first of the Gordon Muldrew series which takes place in the USA. Muldrew is a police detective. First novel of seven in the series.

1935 The Black Opal, a non-series novel is located in Canada.

47 books[27] but...is reported to have a second alias that is known only to himself and his literary agent.

The Tenderfoot text may describe himself and his wife's work ethic about newspaper.[28]

Last book published was 1954...

[1] Ancestry.com research by sharonwalker42, personal notes

[2] Saturday Night magazine in Canada, 27 July 1934 interview by Adel Gianelli

[3] Canadian Crime Fiction by David Skene-Melvin

[4] English Writers in the Canadian West by Bruce Peel in 'Alberta Historical Review' Spring 1968

[5] ccf

[6] ew

[7] ew

[8] SN