Connor, Ralph (1860-1937), was the pen name of Charles William Gordon, a Canadian novelist and clergyman. Connor’s most valued works are the series of novels he wrote about the eastern Ontario county of Glengarry, where he was born. The Man from Glengarry (1901) is the most notable work in the series. It combines dialect speech and accurate descriptions of local environment with a Christian vision of life. Connor presented the title character, Ranald Macdonald, as the ideal Canadian hero. Connor’s other novels include Black Rock (1898) and The Sky Pilot (1899).
Connor was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1890 and became active in national church affairs. He helped form the United Church of Canada in 1925. In his autobiography, Postscript to Adventure (published in 1938, after his death), Connor recalled his love for Glengarry and stressed the importance of religion.
