Isabella Mary Abbott (December 23, 1890 – November 26, 1955) was a Canadian artist and the mother of actor Christopher Plummer.

Isabella Mary Abbott
Born
Isabella Mary Abbott

(1890-12-23)December 23, 1890
DiedNovember 26, 1955(1955-11-26) (aged 64)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Spouse
John Orme Plummer
(m. 1929; sep. 1929)
ChildrenChristopher Plummer
RelativesAmanda Plummer (granddaughter)

Life

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Abbott was born in Quebec City, the daughter of Marianne J. (née Campbell) and Arthur Edward Abbott, and the granddaughter of Prime Minister Sir John Abbott.[1][2] She exhibited with the Art Association of Montreal before showing her work with the Royal Canadian Academy in 1922 and 1923. Abbott served as a volunteer nurse in France during World War I.[3] She worked with the Canadian Handicrafts Guild as the secretary-treasurer from 1924 until February 1929.[4] Abbott was also secretary to the dean of Sciences at McGill University. Abbott returned to work with the Guild in the 1950s, working until her death in 1955.[3][5]

Family

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She married John Orme Plummer (1894–1977) in Quebec City in February 1929. The couple had separated by the end of the year. Their only child, actor Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer, was born on December 13 of that year, in Toronto.[3]

References

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  1. ^ 1911 Census of Canada
  2. ^ Parker, Charles Whately; Greene, Barnet M. (1960). "Who's who in Canada".
  3. ^ a b c Fletcher, Bernie (May 19, 2015). "A famous son, a forgotten father". Beach Metro Community News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  4. ^ McLeod, Ellen Mary Easton (1999). In good hands : the women of the Canadian Handicrafts Guild. Montreal [Que.]: Published for Carleton University by McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 9780886293567. OCLC 181843677.
  5. ^ "Abbott, Isabella Mary (Plummer)". Canadian Women Artists History Initiative.