Clara at the Door with a Revolver

Author: Carolyn Whitzman

Publisher: On Point Press/UBC Press

In the autumnal darkness of October 6, 1894, an unseen figure slipped through the streets of Parkdale, rang the doorbell at the home of a well-to-do Toronto family, and shot Frank Westwood in his doorway, murdering him in cold blood. Six weeks later, the spotlight shone on the enigmatic Clara Ford, a Black tailor and single mother known for her impeccable work ethic and resolute personality – and for wearing men’s attire. A former neighbour of the Westwoods, Clara was arrested and confessed to the murder. But as the details of her arrest and her complex connection to the Westwood family emerged, she recanted, testifying that she was coerced by police into a false confession. Clara was the first woman – and only the second person – to testify on her own behalf in a Canadian trial.

Set in three acts, this story illuminates not only the riveting case itself but also the societal attitudes, gender and race hypocrisy, and the politics of media power in the growing city of Toronto. Carolyn Whitzman tells the compelling story of a courageous Black woman living in nineteenth-century Toronto and paints a portrait of a city and a society that have not changed enough in 125 years.

About the Author:

Carolyn Whitzman is in the middle of her third career as a researcher, consultant, and advocate, focused on housing and planning policy that advances the right to the city. Previously, she worked for the City of Toronto, developing integrated policy to prevent gender-based violence and was a Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Melbourne. She is the author, co-author or editor of six books related to ‘the right to the city’ in both a contemporary and historical perspective, including Suburb, Slum, Urban Village: Transformations in Parkdale, Toronto 1875–2000 and Clara at the Door with a Revolver.