The Donnellys: Powder Keg: 1840-1880
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-10-30 10:50:56
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：John Little
- ISBN：1770416293
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Summary
A violent family living in violent times。 In the 1840s， the Donnelly family immigrates from Ireland to the British province of Canada。 Almost immediately problems develop as the patriarch of the family is sent to the Kingston Penitentiary for manslaughter， leaving his wife to raise their eight children on her own。 The children are raised in an incredibly violent community and cultivate a devoted loyalty to their mother and siblings， which often leads to problems with the law and those outside of the family。 The tensions between the family and their community escalate as the family's enemies begin to multiply。 The brothers go into business running a stagecoach line and repay all acts of violence perpetrated against them， which only worsens the situation。 Refusing to take a backwards step， the Donnellys stand alone against a growing power base that includes wealthy business interests in the town of Lucan， the local diocese of the Roman Catholic Church， law authorities and a number of their neighbours。
Reviews
Annemarie Williams
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It was more like a book report than a true crime book and I talked more about the town than the people that it was suppose to be about。 It was about every incident， every person that lived there had with each other and sometimes a Donnelly was mentioned。
Jacquie
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The Donnellys: Powder KegJohn LittleRelease date: 02 Nov 2021Description: "A violent family living in violent times。In the 1840s， the Donnelly family immigrates from Ireland to the British province of Canada。 Almost immediately problems develop as the patriarch of the family is sent to the Kingston Penitentiary for manslaughter， leaving his wife to raise their eight children on her own。The children are raised in an incredibly violent community and cultivate a devoted loyalty to their mother and The Donnellys: Powder KegJohn LittleRelease date: 02 Nov 2021Description: "A violent family living in violent times。In the 1840s， the Donnelly family immigrates from Ireland to the British province of Canada。 Almost immediately problems develop as the patriarch of the family is sent to the Kingston Penitentiary for manslaughter， leaving his wife to raise their eight children on her own。The children are raised in an incredibly violent community and cultivate a devoted loyalty to their mother and siblings， which often leads to problems with the law and those outside of the family。The tensions between the family and their community escalate as the family’s enemies begin to multiply。 The brothers go into business running a stagecoach line and repay all acts of violence perpetrated against them， which only worsens the situation。Refusing to take a backwards step， the Donnellys stand alone against a growing power base that includes wealthy business interests in the town of Lucan， the local diocese of the Roman Catholic Church， law authorities and a number of their neighbours。" Review:The phrase， "The Black Donnellys" is something I've heard but I never knew who they were。 The book was interesting and at times， suspenseful。 Little's research is impeccable。 Maybe a bit long and this is only the first book in a two-part series。 Biddulph Township in Ontario is known as the site of the brutal massacre on February 4， 1880 of five Donnelly family members， an immigrant Irish family caught up in a long-standing local feud。 Nobody was ever convicted of the murders。 This crime is noted to be one of the most horrific crimes in Canadian history。 "Litigious" is the word that came to mind reading this book - it seems as if everyone was being sued or else suing someone on a daily basis。 People were tried multiple times for the same crime， sometimes months and years after the fact。 It was a scary time to be alive in Ontario。I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review。 。。。more
Christine
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Disclaimer: ARC via NetgalleytI have no idea where I first heard of the Black Donnellys。 It must have been some book about Canada， but I have no idea which。 I had heard of the attempted rescue of one of the Donnellys’ lady loves from her father somewhere。 Yet， my knowledge is more of a general sense than specific。 I knew that several members of the family had been killed in an attack on their farmstead。tThis first volume in Little’s two book series about the Donnellys and their murder ends befor Disclaimer: ARC via NetgalleytI have no idea where I first heard of the Black Donnellys。 It must have been some book about Canada， but I have no idea which。 I had heard of the attempted rescue of one of the Donnellys’ lady loves from her father somewhere。 Yet， my knowledge is more of a general sense than specific。 I knew that several members of the family had been killed in an attack on their farmstead。tThis first volume in Little’s two book series about the Donnellys and their murder ends before the murder occurs He takes the time to look at the charge – both by legal authorities and by rumor -that were laid at the Donnellys’ door。 He looks at the times that the Donnellys had to appear in court， the times family members were imprisoned as well as the stagecoach wars。 His analysis of the Donnellys’ guilt in terms of some rumor charges （the harming of horses for instance） is packed up with evidence from a variety of sources。 He dispels some rumors， such as how the matriarch of the clan was seen （she was actually charged with having foul mouth when a man shoved gun in her face） as well as breaking what appears to be some new ground in the lives of some of the sons。tPart of this is because Little takes the time to present not a historic overview of Biddulph Township in Ontario （then Upper Canada）。 This includes the area’s initial development but also the tensions between the Catholics and Protestants， tensions that Little suggests contributed to the attack on the Donnellys。 He makes sure the reader understands the time and place that the Donnellys were in， noting the very hardships that the family would suffer though。 In America， we would say that Biddulph was a bit like the stereotypical Wild， Wild West， and Little makes sure that there is understanding about how tough and hard the people could be in Biddulp at the time。 This includes not only the Donnelly neighbors but their priest as well。tIn terms of background for the rural area of Ontario during the period as well as for background about the Donnellys themselves， this an good read。tHighly recommend for those interested in Canadian history and folklore。 。。。more
Janet
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