The Tragedy of Minnie McGee

By Joanne Collicott McGuigan

A true story of how a housewife and mother became the first woman sentenced to hang in Prince Edward Island. Local area residents provided a lot of history surrounding the case and the author wanted to get the information out there before it was lost and forgotten. The author delves into the mindset of Minnie McGee, the terrible consequences and her life after incarceration.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joanne Collicott McGuigan
• Release date: Dec 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310392436

Joanne Collicott McGuigan

Although born in England, Joanne spent her childhood in Canterbury, New Brunswick, Canada. Her father, a Canadian soldier and her mother, a nurse from County Mayo, Ireland, met during WWII. Joanne now lives in Prince Edward Island with her husband Wayne and their two cats. She loves feeding a beautiful red fox and the blue jays, juncos, squirrels and ravens that frequent her backyard. Listening to Celtic music, cooking, reading, writing and walking along the beach in the fresh country air are important pastimes. Joanne mainly writes documentaries and true stories. The secrets of the mind, as well as the universe and the betterment of mankind, are important interests to her.

Book preview

The Tragedy of Minnie McGee

Joanne Collicott McGuigan

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 by Joanne Collicott McGuigan

All rights reserved

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy.

Cover and design by Joanne Collicott McGuigan

Cover background photo taken on grounds of Hillsborough Hospital and Special Care Centre, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1-Newspaper Reports

Chapter 2-Deaths of the Children

Chapter 3-Marriage of Minnie Cassidy and Patrick McGee

Chapter 4-Minnie and Pat's Irish Lineage

Chapter 5-Early Death of Minnie's Mother

Chapter 6-Current Conversations

Chapter 7-Falconwood Asylum

Chapter 8-The last years

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Introduction

In producing this ebook on Minnie McGee, my aim was to put the information I had gathered out there before it was lost or forgotten. I was fortunate to obtain details from people in the local area and document the stories they told me about the McGee tragedy. Copies of 1912 newspaper accounts of Minnie's trial and the census helped provide an accurate history. There has been several articles written about Minnie McGee. My interest in the historical facts of the story started when I learned where her house was located. Minnie lived with her husband and the children approximately one kilometer from my home on Prince Edward Island. And the lingering question - what in this woman's life led her to such terrible consequences? It was difficult to delve into the details because of my sadness over the loss of the children and the total annihilation of a family. When I was ready to put Minnie's story aside, someone would offer a word of encouragement, another fact or a picture of Minnie. Something always pushed me onward. I believe Minnie wanted this story told, not only to allow a glimpse into the long dark night of her soul, but this insight may help prevent tragedies of similar circumstances.

From a earlier age, Minnie knew the heartbreaks and joys of raising a family. As the oldest child, Minnie took on the role of housekeeper and mother to her younger siblings. She was sixteen when her mother died. Five years later she married Patrick McGee.

In the thirteen years of her marriage to Patrick McGee, Minnie gave birth to nine children. First came the arrival of Louis in 1898, the year of her marriage. Penzie, Johnny,