Graduate Students

McEwen, Alix - M.A

Crime in the Niagara District, 1827-1850 - Dr. Murray, advisor

         This thesis focuses on the most serious crimes prosecuted in the Niagara District--those which were indictable at the Assizes--from the years 1827 to 1850. The incidence of these offences and the ways in which they were judged serve to indicate the kind of behaviour which was considered most corrosive of the social fabric, and to illuminate the values cherished by local residents. Throughout the study, it will be seen that the law functioned in such a manner as to reinforce the values of a generally conservative society, while at the same time upholding popular ideals of justice, equitability and fairness. The values held dear by many Niagara residents centred around a respect for order and a regard for property; these values were both reflected in and strengthened by the decisions of the Assize court in the quarter century in question.