Court House Square, April 11th, 2020. Image by Heritage Toronto.
Court House, Adelaide Street, 1867. Courtesy of the Toronto Public Library Archives.
Court House Square
Court House Square hosted public punishments for both minor and major crimes, including floggings and detaining people in stocks. The last person to endure the stocks in the square was Ellen Halfpenny, who was detained for many counts of drunk and disorderly behaviour in 1834.
1 / 4 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
Toronto’s Incorporation
The year 1834 also saw the incorporation of Toronto as a city, which introduced new bylaws. Toronto was a city built from wood, so naturally the first bylaw addressed fire safety. Other bylaws were more unusual, prohibiting people from wearing a felt hat in a sauna, or dragging a dead horse down Yonge Street on Sunday.
2 / 4 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
Crime and Punishment
The square was also the site of punishments for more significant crimes, which were met with execution. In 1837, Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews were executed in this spot for their participation in the 1837 Rebellion. Many of their fellow rebels fled, including their leader, former Toronto mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie.
3 / 4 (use arrows at bottom right to navigate)
Last Execution
The last execution in Court House Square took place in 1865, when James Brown was executed for the alleged murder of John Hogan. Brown was believed to be the leader of the infamous Bush Brooks Gang operating out of the Don Valley, but pleaded innocent up until his execution.
