More of a Man: Diaries of a Scottish Craftsman in Mid-Nineteenth Century North America ed. by Andrew C. Holman, Robert B. Kristofferson (review)

For historians of labour working in 19th-century Canada, it is often extremely difficult to secure an accurate portrayal of their subjects, given the appalling lack of documentary evidence available describing the lives of workers during this period. Unearthing the undiluted voice of the skilled craftsworker is so rare that historians are generally forced to rely on the judgments of others, desperately reading “against the grain” to illustrate their lives, loves, and work experiences. It is therefore no exaggeration to state that the editors of More Than a Man: Diaries of a Scottish Crafsman in Mid-Nineteenth Century North America, Andrew Holman and Robert Kristofferson, have discovered a virtual treasure trove of primary material to analyze in the diaries of Andrew McIlwraith, a young journeyman crafts-worker who emigrated to North America.

McIlwraith’s diaries are a fascinating glimpse into the myriad of identities to be encountered within the world of the skilled craftsworker in the 19th century. First and foremost, they illustrate the varied work experiences of a young journeyman in North America. From his experience “tramping” in the United States to his quest for respectability through occupational flexibility and networking – McIlwraith began his career as an apprentice draughtsman and patternmaker and end up a foundry owner and accountant – the diaries illuminate both the challenges and rewards of work during a period of economic upheaval. Similarly, the cultural underpinnings of artisanal “self-improvement,” instilled in McIlwraith as a youngster in Scotland, are evident throughout these pages. Whether his desire for self-improvement mirrored his quest for social and economic mobility – as McIlwraith’s membership in various Mechanics’ Institutes, his enthusiastic reading of Samuel Smiles, and enrolling in classes of the Coopers’ Institute would attest – or for the simple joys of mental culture embodied in visiting museums, botanical and zoological gardens, or in an ordinary game of chess, such activities would “construct a well-rounded man capable of meeting the responsibilities of modern masculine citizenship and liberal individualism.” (31)

Moreover, those interested in transatlantic migration, ethnic identities, the history of the family, and gender formation will also find valuable social history in the pages of More of a Man. Migration was a prominent factor in Andrew McIlwraith’s life; in the span of nearly five years, McIlwraith lived in five different towns and cities, from Dundas, Sarnia, Hamilton, and Galt in Canada West to the bustling metropolis of New York City. In each locale, McIlwraith not only brought his tool chest, hopes, and aspirations, but also his identity as a “Scotsman” with him. He particularly made use of the kinship and economic networks afforded him by his ethnicity, in his quest for “a respectable manhood” and independence. It is the pursuit of this manly respectability that provides the core theme (and the title) of More of a Man; in the precarious and insecure space between adolescence and manhood, between apprenticeship and independence, the diaries of Andrew McIlwraith present a liminal portrait of a young journeyman becoming a “man.” By 1862, when McIlwraith married Mary Goldie, effectively transitioning himself from an immigrant journeyman newcomer to a respectable townsman and bookkeeper, the Horatio Alger tale is essentially complete.

Holman and Kristofferson are to be commended for their meticulous editing of Andrew McIlwraith’s diaries. They are clearly transcribed with the widest possible audience in mind, as they painstakingly corrected numerous grammatical errors and clarified McIlwraith’s meaning in many of the diary passages. More significantly, the diaries are layered with insightful annotations, as the editors provide poignant historical, regional, cultural, and social context for almost each diary entry. Holman and Kristofferson also provide additional material regarding McIlwraith’s life, such as Mechanics’ Institute library loans, family trees, memoranda, account books, and a particularly helpful dramatis personae that allows the audience to keep abreast of the various cast of characters appearing in the...