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Black Donnelly's vs Biddulph Township
64
By Tom Pfeiffer
The Black Donnellys
vs
Biddulph Township
Background
The Biddulph Township is located near the town of London, Ontario, Canada. The neighbors of the Donnellys are considered the Biddulph Township of the infamous feud. They became angry when the Donnellys migrated over from Ireland into their area, stealing some of their land.
The Donnelly family emigrated from Ireland to the Biddulph Township in Ontario, Canada in the 1840's. James and Johannah, the heads of the family, settled illegally on a neighbor's land when they first moved over, beginning the feud with the township.
The Feud
After James Donnelly was put in prison, the Biddulph Township continued to blame his sons and relatives for any trouble that went on in the area. They were unfairly accused of thievery, arson, and assault on several occasions. However, this continued due to their aggressive willing to fight with the neighbors. The situation escalated so bad that after James complained to the courthouse about their treatment, he was found dead the next day.
The feud escalated in 1857 when James Donnelly murdered Patrick Farrell. Farrell was one of the main members of the Biddulph Township involved in the conflict over the Donnelly's illegal claiming of land. James was found guilty, giving the next generation of his family a bad reputation.
Resolution
The feud ended on February 4, 1880 when the Donnelly farm was burned to the ground by a mob of locals, resulting in the death of five Donnellys. Although many of the township knew who were the main people involved in the burning, the trials didn't convict anyone of the murders.