Tipperary man hanged for murder in Nova Scotia to feature in talk at heritage society

Roscrea Heritage Society will host an evening with award winning Canadian author Laura Churchill Duke on Friday, May 5.

The event in the Black Mills will examine how John Kavanagh, a boy from Roscrea, ended up committing murder in the back woods of rural Nova Scotia.

John Kavanagh grew up in Ballyhall, Roscrea, and attended St Cronan’s Boys’ School.

When he was 17 years old, he received a three-month jail term for having stolen a watch chain. At the age of 18, it was six months for stealing a coat, and at the age of 19, it was a year for stealing another coat.

In fact, he spent the next 22 years of his life constantly in and out of five jails across Ireland.

When he is finally released, John heads to England and in Liverpool takes a ship to Nova Scotia, Canada. It is here, in December 1905 that John Kavanagh starts a new life.

In February 1906, John’s life of crime catches up with him and he is convicted of murdering Freeman Harvey, decapitating him, and burying him in a pile of potatoes in the man's own basement.

A trial ensues and John is found guilty and in August 1906, John Kavanagh, a man from Roscrea is hanged for murder in Windsor, Nova Scotia.

The story of John Kavanagh is the subject of the novel, Rooted in Deception by Laura Churchill Duke.

The novel, Rooted in Deception, follows the life of John Kavanagh and how this petty criminal deceives everyone in his path until he is eventually accused of a heinous and violent crime for which he is ultimately hanged.

But how much of the tragedy was of his own doing and how much had been woven by his enemies?

Told from a variety of perspectives, including that of the accused, the novel creates a sympathetic case for a man who may deserve none. Using primary sources including newspaper articles, trial transcripts and actual letters from the accused, the true story of the murder of Freeman Harvey is told using creative fiction to fill in the gaps of the narrative.

The most exciting part of this story was the hunt to discover the man behind the murder.

When he arrived in Nova Scotia, he was using the aliases John Ryan and George Stanley. There is one newspaper article where he mentions he was born in 1866 in Roscrea.

Laura wrote to the Heritage Society in Roscrea and forged a relationship with the chair, Pamela Aitken. With the help of another local historian, Dick Conroy, the two dug into historical records and were able to ascertain the identity of our man.

They discovered his name was John Kavanagh. They found his parents’ wedding certificates, his sister’s death certificate at Clonmel asylum, school records, property deeds and more.

And so, the story of the real man came together. Laura will be travelling from Nova Scotia to give a public presentation on the life of John Kavanagh.

Signed copies of Rooted in Deception will be available to purchase on the night.

Admission is free but as seating is limited, tickets must be reserved in advance via the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rooted-in-deception-from-roscrea-to-canada-tickets-621128932357.