The Black Donnellys: The Outrageous Tale of Canada's Deadliest Feud

by Nate Hendley

"Johannah trained her sons to fight dirty. A knee to the groin, a thumb to an eye, all was fair as long as a Donnelly prevailed." "Hit first, talk later," she told her boys. This book will be especially fascinating for all readers interested in: crime biography. The gruesome saga of the Black Donnellys has been heavily mythologized. A thick layer of rumour, legend, and hearsay has built up around the facts of the case. But one thing is clear. No one who reads this book will ever forget the murderous events that occurred near the town of Lucan, Ontario in the 1870s.

Genres: Crime, History, True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Canada, Historical

136 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2004

About the author

My name is Nate Hendley and I am a Toronto-based journalist, writer, and speaker.

My latest book, Atrocity on the Atlantic is a full account of the torpoedo attack on Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle, in the First World War. Sinking hospital ships violated international treaties, so the sub commander had his deck gun shell lifeboats containing survivors to kill any witnesses to his war crime. One lifeboat with two-dozen survivors escaped to bear witness.

The sinking was condemned by the public, press, and politicians, around the world. In 1921, the attack was prosecuted at the Leipzig War Crimes Trials (the little-known attempt to bring German war criminals to justice after the Great War). In its ruling, the Leipzig court set a legal precedent that guided subsequent war crime prosecutions, including the Nuremberg Trial.

Sadly, for all the impact it had, the Llandovery Castle tragedy soon faded from memory.

As published by Dundurn Press, my book details the attack, profiles medical staff on board the ship, and discusses the long wake of a forgotten war crime that continues to influence international law.

My last book, The Beatle Bandit, was about Matthew Kerry Smith, a troubled young man who robbed a Toronto-area bank in 1964 disguised in a Halloween mask and a "Beatles" wig. A bank patron tried to intervene and was killed in a gunfight with Smith. This murderous heist fueled a nationwide debate about guns, capital punishment, and the death penalty.

As published by Dundurn Press, The Beatle Bandit won the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Non-Fiction 2022. It was also nominated for the Toronto Heritage Book Awards 2022.

I have written several other books, primarily in the true-crime genre. Previous books have focused on organized crime, Bonnie and Clyde, gang bosses Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, wrongful murder convictions, and cons and hoaxes, among other topics.

For more information about my books and background, visit my website at http://www.natehendley.ca

I host a blog, which can be viewed at https://crimestory.wordpress.com/

I am a member of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) and the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC).

I live next-door to Jeanne, world's greatest girlfriend.

I do public presentations based on my books. For more information, contact me at: nhendley@sympatico.ca.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very interesting story
Can't believe this happened here In Canada
Not far from me, back in the old days
Love reading old true crime stories like this
Definitely will be reading more stories about the black Donnellys!

[Jan C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this a while ago but apparently forgot to mark it as read. So Canadians had outlaws too.

[Wes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story, super easy read!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I was hoping for something a little more complete. It was interesting but still a lot of stuff was left to mystery, as I guess it really is. I might have liked to have seen a bit more about the Donnellys themselves. It still seems to me that the definitive book on this story is yet to be written.

[BRenda MUllen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, lots of interesting details, unsure of true facts or fiction

[Patricia Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been interested in the Donnelly story because they were in lucan Ontario and my aunt and uncle lived up there and he told me the story when I was young. since then I have read everything I can find on them and also been there 3 times to where the old homestead was and st.patricks church on concession 5 that use to be known as the roman line...the Donnelly family and the vigilantes all are buried there. whether the donnellys did what the were accused of or not im not sure but a lot of things happened back then barn burnings ect and they were to be blamed. so late one evening the vigilantes went in and axed the family to death and to this day no one has ever been charged with the crime..its an interesting story and one you will find quite amazing .

[Sher Boudreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in small town Ontario, this story was one we read in elementary school. Re-reading it now was even more creepy than I remembered.

The legend of this rural Ontario family is somewhat unknown in other areas of Canada and certainly worth reading up on.

An entire village took matters into their own hands to deal with the sly, crooked and often misunderstood Donnelly Clan.

Bigotry,greed, murder, sex, violence. This book has it all and then some.

Definitely a nightmare creator!

Highly recommend this.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my better half, thinking he'd enjoy it while on holidays this summer. I happened to grab it when walking on the tread mill and was instantly hooked. Stories like this are something movies are made of and usually happen in the wild west of the USA. An Irish family in the 1800's in southern Ontario, the Black Donnellys was thoroughly enjoyable. Very quick, interesting read.

[John Winkler]

BREAK THE FAKE, FACT CHECK YOUR WORK

Nate Hendley made a warranty to his publisher that his book, The Black Donnellys is factually true. However, I have exposed much of the MISINFORMATION in Nate Hendley's false, nonfiction biography of the Donnelly family massacre...

P 88-89 The visit to Grandma Bell for a fortune telling in the fall of 1879 is a complete fiction.
P 86-87 Sam Everett resigning as constable is a complete fiction.
P 87 Tom Donnelly's beating up of Patrick Flannigan is a complete fiction.
P 86 The horse whipping of William Casey, hamstringing his horses and burning down his barn is a complete fiction.
P 74 A barn belonging to a farmer named Blake that was burnt to the ground is a complete fiction.
P 26 Stating that Farrell died two days after the fatal blow is a fiction.
P 37-38-39 The greeting of Jim Donnelly Sr. on his return from the Kingston Penitentiary is a complete fiction.
P 83 The ransacking of the interior of the Donnelly home by a mob searching for Thompson's cow is a complete fiction.
P 74-74 Constable Everett shooting Robert Donnelly hiding behind a wood pile is a complete fiction.
P 68 William Donnelly lifting the pistol from constable Bawden's holster is a complete fiction.
P 105-107 The wedding taking place on the second floor of Fitzhenry's hotel and the constables bounding down the stairs is a complete fiction.
P 58-59 Flanagan shooting his mutilated horses is a complete fiction.
P 57 Purtell's participation in the fictional incident of Flanagan's mutilated horses is a complete fiction.
P 35-36 The burning down of Robert McClean's barn, the poisoning of his cattle and the throats of three of his horses cut is a complete fiction.
P 22 The poisoning of three of Farrell's cows and the burning down of his barn are fiction.
P 19 Jim Donnelly Sr. directing his young boys to watch him fight Farrell at the Donnelly homestead is a complete fiction.
P 11 Johannah handing Jim Donnelly a shillelagh during a gang fight is a complete fiction.
P10-11 The location and circumstances in which Jim Donnelly met his future wife Johannah is a complete fiction.
P 69 The manner William Donnelly was taken into custody is a complete fiction.
P 68 The Donnellys continuing the celebration after the rout of the constables is a complete fiction.
P 59-64 A pitched battle on a street in Lucan village between Flanagan and seventeen supporters on the one hand and Jim Donnelly and seven sons on the other is a complete fiction.
P 37 Claiming that James Donnelly was 6 feet tall is a fiction.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my July 2024 read, I chose this quick easy read “Black Donnellys: The Outrageous Tale of Canada’s Deadliest Feud”. The gruesome saga of the Black Donnellys has been heavily mythologized and there’s a thick layer of rumour, legend and hearsay built up around the facts of the case. But one thing is clear — the murderous events that occurred near the town of Lucan, ON, in the 1870s are unforgettable. This book includes numerous black & white and colour photos pertaining to the Donnelly family. It also offers a short account of Canada’s most notorious 19th century case of vigilante action leading to murder. The killers were men within a community harassed by a no-holds-barred criminal family. The story has been told and retold in books, songs, plays and a movie — and this book is a readable, engaging account. I wouldn’t say this is a “must read”, but it’s an easy read to offer a little insight into a historical true crime committed in our own backyard. 🐴🔥⚰️🇨🇦📕

[sequoia spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

i grew up not far from the area where the Donnellys lived and i remember reading a book about it when i was very young.. so many years later, i thought to search for the book.. this isn't the same one, but it does tell the story.. which is interesting..

one family, the Donnellys, lived in an area near London, Ontario, Canada and they were a rough crowd.. they made enemies anywhere they went and in the end, most of the family are massacred.. it's brutal..

so the story is interesting enough, the book is easy to read and i zipped thru it in an evening..

[Ken Doran · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lifelong resident of southern Ontario, I am very familiar with the notorious Black Donnellys and their saga of bullying and mayhem. As such, when I saw Nate Hendley’s “The Black Donnellys: The Outrageous Tale of Canada’s Deadliest Feud” recently at my local bookstore, I bought it hoping to find an enlightening and interesting read. Happily, I’m glad to say the book achieved both. Hendley’s short book—a real gem of local history about a criminal family and the vigilantes who sought retribution—proved to be an enjoyable page-turner. I’m glad I bought it!

[Dina McPhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Thomas P. Kelly's version of this story back in grade school. I was hoping this version would, somewhat, redeem the Donnelly family. And I think it succeeded.
I live a short distance from Lucan. I have visited The Black Donnelly Brew Pub, not to be morbid but to perhaps understand, sympathize and pay my respects.
My heart ached for this family.

[Lindsay Brinks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick one day read. The story was interesting but the book lacked any sort of emotion. That may have been because the crimes took place so long ago and the author wanted to make sure it was as fact full as he could; however I would have liked a little more connection to the characters.

[Pat Brethour · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quick read, because it was about a family who moved to Canada for a better life, but in my estimation they abused that chance by starting out stealing/squatting on someone else's property, and it all spirals downhill from there.

[Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, frontier justice....

I was aware of the story of the Donnellys and while this book did not offer any new information for me, it was still a good read.

[Ed Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good quick read however it was not as engaging as other Donnelly books I have read.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: the gruesome feud of the Black Donnellys in the 1870s-80s near Lucan, Ontario. Murder is at the heart of rumour, legend, and hearsay.

[Blanche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Library book- Non fiction true Canadian story. Interesting short book

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight forward and filled with good info.

[Trina R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living near Lucan, I’ve always found this story to be interesting. Also a good reminder that the past was not necessarily “better”.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Donnellys was written by Nate Hendley. It was published on May 4, 2004 by Amazing Stories. I really enjoyed this book because it was about a family who move to Canada for a better life and didn't have the life they expected they would have in Canada. I think Nate Hendley really focused on getting the right information about the Black Donnellys, making it a more interesting book to read.
Nate Hendley did a really good job researching the true history of the Black Donnellys. When Nate Hendley couldn’t find out what exactly happened to the Black Donnelly during certain parts of their life the author would explain that there were many different opinions on what happened and included the rumour that most people believed. Nonfiction writers will uses rumors when part of the story has no true fact because everyone has a different opinions on what happened.
While reading the book it didn’t feel like I was reading a biography. I felt like I was reading a fiction story. I like this because I was able to picture the story in my mind making it come to life, instead of feeling like I was reading a bunch of facts on the family's life.
Some of the Donnelly children were not a huge part of the story, for example Jenny. Jenny wasn’t a huge part of the story because she had nothing to do with the death of her family. Unlike her brothers Jenny had no interest in fighting people or wrecking their personal property. Although William and James Jr. were a huge part of the story. The two boys had caused a lot of problems when their stagecoach business had to compete for business with Patrick Flanagan. They had dismantled Patrick Flanagan’s stagecoach and killed his horses. After this many people turned their backs on the Donnellys. The main characters of the story were the cause of the Donnelly family death. This made it easier to understand the book because the author didn’t talking much about the family members who had nothing to do with the family's murder.
If I were to compare this to another book I read, I would compare it to the Inheritance series. The Inheritance series is about a boy destroying the leader of his society. The Black Donnellys has the same ending, where the people who are destroying a society are killed. I enjoyed The Black Donnellys more than the Inheritance series because it story was based on a true event. Unlike the The Black Donnellys the Inheritance series didn’t feel like it had anything in common with the real world because it was based on a boy and his dragon destroying the king of their society.
I would recommend this book to people who are looking to learn more about Canadian History. Although it wasn’t a huge part of Canadian history it was still very interesting to learn about a family that moved to Canada for a better life and ended up being killed. Overall I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars because many of my questions about the Donnelly family were answered while I was reading the book.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Donnelly family moved from Ireland to Ontario in the 1840s. One of the first things James and Johannah did was claim some land that belonged to someone else and built their new home. Over time they'd have 7 sons and one daughter. James and Johannah, as well as the majority of their sons, were quick to fistfight, and even seemed to enjoy it. After years of small crimes, arson, mutilated/poisoned animals, and even murder and after many of the Donnelly family had done time in prison, the local population were fed up and formed a secret vigilance society to enact revenge against the Donnellys. Five of the Donnelly family would eventually be savagely murdered in their homes.

There are lots of rumors about the Donnellys and many crimes in the area at the time the family lived there were erroneously attributed to them. Many of the crimes were committed by them as well. This book is simple and straighforward. It is a very fast and interesting read. A good way to learn about the family, or get reacquainted with their story.

[Geek Girl ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really... objective. The writing style was a bit strange, as it was really unemotional, and there was more described dialogue than actual written dialogue. The Donnellys were total jerks, but the townspeople were also jerks towards the end, so it was a sort of weird party of total jerk characters.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always amazed at how thirty or so years of activity and upheaval can be summed up in 129 pages. Still, a good read and I'm still appalled that this happened in my neck of the woods. People amaze me.

[Christopher Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great telling of a local story. There is much folklore in our own backyard, and this author enjoys informing us of the more interesting chapters in our history. A very good read.

[Valerie]

Awesome book!! Couldnt put it down.