New book on Roscrea man hanged for murder in Canada

Just how does John Kavanagh, a boy from Roscrea, end up committing murder in the back woods of rural Nova Scotia?
This will be the subject of a public talk happening at the Black Mills in Roscrea on May 5, 2023.

The story of John Kavanagh is the subject of a novel by author Laura Churchill Duke, titled 'Rooted in Deception' and which came about after she enlisted the help of members of the Roscrea Heritage Society.

The author will be coming from Nova Scotia to Roscrea to give a public presentation about the life of John Kavanagh, and telling the story of how he murdered an old man in Nova Scotia - and how he was tracked down.

John Kavanagh grew up in Ballyhall, in Roscrea, went to St. Cronan's Boy School and attended the local church.
But 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 6 months for stealing a coat, and at the age of 19, it was a year for stealing a coat.

In fact, he spends 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. But 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 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 his fate 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 Backstory

“The most exciting part of this story for me was the hunt to discover the man behind the murderer” Laura Churchill Duke said about her new book.

“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.

“I wrote to the historical 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 identify of our man.

“They discovered his name was John Kavanagh. They found his parents' wedding certificates, his sister's death certificate at Clonmel lunatic asylum, school records, property deeds and more. The story of the real man came together”, she explained.

“I will be coming from Nova Scotia to give a public presentation about the life of John Kavanagh, and telling the story of how he murdered an old man in Nova Scotia - and how we tracked him down.

Pictured above are Laura's books

“Rooted in Deception is available on Amazon UK, and I will also be bringing copies with me to the event”, the author said.
Laura is a communication specialist and journalist in the Annapolis Valley. She is currently teaching communication to first year kinesiology students at Acadia University, focusing on writing, research and presentation skills.

Laura is also a freelance journalist for Saltwire Network, writing stories for Atlantic Canada.