Alice Freeman-Brown: A Pen Name and a Pioneering Spirit

A vintage black‑and‑white photograph showing five people standing outdoors in a wooded area beside a large wooden plow or cart. Four individuals stand in a row wearing period clothing, including long dresses, hats, and suits, while a bearded man in work clothes and suspenders stands to the right holding the wooden equipment. The ground is covered with logs and brush, suggesting a rural or pioneering setting.
A vintage sepia-toned portrait of Alice Freeman-Brown seated in an elegant pose. She wears a long, fitted dress with puffed sleeves and decorative details along the bodice. One arm rests on a fur-draped chair, while the other holds a folded piece of fabric or a cloth across her lap. The background is plain, highlighting the formal style of the period clothing.

1858–1936 
Mount Pleasant Cemetery 
Plot 9 Lot 199

Long before women’s voices were widely heard in Canadian journalism, Alice Freeman-Brown carved out a place for herself in history. Born in Bowmanville, Ont., Alice grew up in a society where teaching was one of the few respectable careers for open to women. She embraced that path, becoming a schoolteacher in Toronto. However, Alice harboured a secret ambition: to write. 

In the late 19th century, women journalists were rare, and those who dared often faced harsh scrutiny. To protect her teaching position while pursuing her passion, Alice adopted the pseudonym Faith Fenton. Under this name, she became Canada’s first female newspaper columnist, writing for The Globe and other publications. Her columns were bold and insightful, tackling social issues and championing women’s rights at a time when such topics were considered controversial.  

Alice’s life took a dramatic turn in the 1890s when she resigned from teaching to become a full-time journalist. Her fearless reporting led her to the Klondike Gold Rush, where she chronicled the lives of prospectors and adventurers for readers back home. Amid the rugged Yukon landscape, she met and married Dr. John Nelson Elliott Brown, a physician who shared her spirit of adventure. The couple returned to Toronto in 1904, where Alice continued to write and advocate for social progress.  

Sadly, Alice’s remarkable journey ended on January 10, 1936, when she died of pneumonia at the age of 77. Her grave marks the resting place of a woman who defied convention, wielded her pen as a tool for change and showed the way for generations of female journalists.    

Sources: 
•  Faith Fenton – Wikipedia (Alice FreemanBrown) 
•  WikiTree – Alice Freeman (Faith Fenton) 
•  Dictionary of Canadian Biography – Alice Matilda Freeman (Faith Fenton) 
•  Glimpses of Canadian History – Alice Freeman, Alias Faith Fenton 

Photos:
• Group shot - Probably Henry Joseph Woodside (1858 – November 8, 1929), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
• Portrait - J. Fraser Bryce, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons 

  • historical figure
  • women