Murder Among Gentlemen: A History of Duelling in Canada

By Hugh A. Halliday

The formal duel, with its elaborate ritual and code of conduct, was once considered an "honourable" way for self-styled gentlemen to settle disputes involving character and integrity. The law made no special provision for duelling--the winner in a fatal contest was a murderer. But the prevailing sentiment that a duel was "fair," and the fact that upper-crust combatants in the thinly populated 19th-century Canada were well-connected with the judiciary, meant that duellists usually escaped with little or no punishment. What is surprising is that so many came from the ranks of those whose job it was to uphold the law--lawyers, judges and politicians, including at least two future Fathers of Confederation and several chief justices.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1896941095
• ISBN13: 9781896941097
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Robin Brass Studio
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.4"