Episode 251: In the rural area known as Drummond Township, near Perth, Ontario, about a mile north of the village of Balderson’s Corners, in the early morning hours of December 10, 1828, what appeared to be an accidental fire resulted in the deaths of Thomas Easby’s wife and four eldest children. Only a month later, it was the word of Thomas’s only surviving son that painted a different, more sinister picture. Thomas was arrested, charged with the murders and tried. Easby’s trial was brief, he was convicted and sentenced to hang for what has been called Canada's first mass murder.

Sources:

Rampage: Canadian Mass Murder and Spree Killing

The Thomas Easby Murders in 1829 — Foulest Ever in Lanark County | lindaseccaspina

Perth & District Historical Society - Perth, Ontario, Canada

THE DEVIL VISITS DRUMMOND TOWNSHIP

Thomas Easby Murders « Arlene Stafford Wilson

A Matter of Honour: And Other Tales of Early Perth - Susan Code - Google Books

The Early History of Balderson’s Corners

Historic Lanark County Documents from the Perth Courier

Uncovering the Secrets of the Perth Museum Archives: A Q&A with Debbie Sproule - Lanark County Tourism

A History of Drummond Township - John C. Ebbs - Google Books

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Canada’s First Mass Murder: The Easby Family 01:07:23 Share

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Canada’s First Mass Murder: The Easby Family