Lucan: Home of the Donnellys

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Culbert, a retired TV journalist, has assembled an esoteric collection
of short essays and profiles united by their connection to his home
town, Lucan, Ontario. This patchwork approach to local history has
produced a vibrant if disjointed work, full of energy and human
interest.

As the subtitle promises, part of the book is devoted to yet another
retelling of the massacre, in 1880, of five members of the Donnelly
family. Even 125 years, later this mass murder by a “vigilance
committee” (possibly encouraged by the local priest) provides fame to
Lucan, and much of the village’s local history is based on connections
to the event. For example, Culbert includes a profile of the descendants
of the undertaker who buried the Donnelly family.

The Donnelly story has been told numerous times, yet Culbert is able to
bolster the tale with fresh information, especially the transcript of
the exit interview with James Donnelly Sr. on his release from the
Kingston Penitentiary in 1865, where he served time for murder.

Culbert’s personal connections and experiences influenced the
selection of other topics of Lucan history for inclusion. The time frame
wanders back and forth from c. 1860 to the 1970s, and touches down
briefly on sports, commerce, steam threshers, teachers, scuba diving,
and music. As a history it lacks completeness, continuity, organization,
and objectivity. As a collection of interesting snippets, it’s lively
and great browsing.