Catalog

Record Details

Catalog Search



Clara at the door with a revolver : the scandalous Black suspect, the exemplary White son, and the murder that shocked Toronto  Cover Image Book Book

Clara at the door with a revolver : the scandalous Black suspect, the exemplary White son, and the murder that shocked Toronto / Carolyn Whitzman.

Whitzman, Carolyn, (author.).

Summary:

"In the autumnal darkness of October 6, 1894, an unseen figure slipped through the streets of Parkdale, rang the doorbell at the home of a well-to-do Toronto family, and shot Frank Westwood in his doorway, murdering him in cold blood. Six weeks later, the spotlight shone on the enigmatic Clara Ford, a Black tailor and single mother known for her impeccable work ethic and resolute personality--and for wearing men's attire. A former neighbor of the Westwoods, Clara was arrested and confessed to the murder. But as the details of her arrest and her complex connection to the Westwood family emerged, she recanted, testifying that she was coerced by police into a false confession. Clara was the first woman--and only the second person--to testify on her own behalf in a Canadian trial. Set in three acts, this story illuminates not only the riveting case itself but also the societal attitudes, gender and race hypocrisy, and the politics of media power in the growing city of Toronto. Carolyn Whitzman tells the compelling story of a courageous Black woman living in nineteenth-century Toronto and paints a portrait of a city and a society that have not changed enough in 125 years."-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780774890618 (trade paperback)
  • Physical Description: xii, 317 pages : illustrations, maps ; 22 cm
  • Publisher: Vancouver, BC : On Point Press, a UBC Press imprint, [2023]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Subject: Ford, Clara, 1864?-
Ford, Clara, 1864?- > Trials, litigation, etc.
Westwood, Frank, -1894.
Murder > Ontario > Toronto > Case studies.
Trials (Murder) > Ontario > Toronto.
Women, Black > Ontario > Toronto > Social conditions > 19th century.
Toronto (Ont.) > Race relations > History > 19th century.
Toronto (Ont.) > Social life and customs > 19th century.
Genre: Biographies.
Personal narratives.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Lakeshore Branch 364.1523092 Ford-W 31681010318194 NONFICPBK Available -


Additional Resources