Last Updated:March 24, 2012

The Middlesex County Courthouse is a beautiful building that sits on the South East corner of Dundas and Ridout Streets in London, Ontario. It was modeled after Malahide Castle near Dublin, Ireland, the ancestral home of Colonel Thomas Talbot who founded nearby St. Thomas, Ontario.

The Courthouse was constructed over three years, from 1826 to1829. The building housed not only the courthouse, but a small jail, the police headquarters and the town hall. From 1830 to 1951, there were 19 hangings that occurred on the courthouse grounds.

Marion “Peg Leg” Brown

In 1898, Railway Watchman, James Ross, noticed Marion “Peg Leg” Brown walking down the railway tracks. It was Ross’ job to ensure for the safety of civilians by preventing them from walking the tracks, thus he approached Peg Leg and instructed him to leave. Peg Leg struck Ross in the head, knocking him unconscious, and left the scene. Police were contacted and they set out to find Peg Leg Brown.

Later that day, Constable Michael Toohey caught up with Peg Leg, approached him, and informed him he was under arrest. Peg Leg took out a handgun and shot Toohey twice in the chest and once in the head.

Despite an aggressive man-hunt, Peg Leg could not be found. Telegraphs were sent to all police departments in Canada requesting that they send any peg-legged homeless man to London. Fifteen such men were sent as suspects, but all were released. The search then extended to the United States where Peg Leg was located and arrested.

Peg Leg’s trial produced contradictory evidence. The prosecution brought forth 50 people who stated they had seen Peg Leg in the area at the time of the murder while the defense produced 21 witnesses from the States who provided alibis. Regardless, Peg Leg was found guilty by Jury and sentenced to hang.

Peg Leg was hanged on May 17, 1899. It is said that the moment the trap door opened, a bolt of lightning struck the courthouse and the attending Reverend yelled out, “Oh God Forgive Us. Oh God Forgive Our Country!”. It is also said that Peg Leg cursed the courthouse twice and stated no grass would ever grow upon his grave.

Peg Leg’s ghost is believed to haunt the Courthouse building. People say his wooden leg can be heard tapping across the floor boards at night and that his shadow appears annually on the courthouse wall on the morning of the anniversary of his execution. Cold spots, apparitions, and unexplained noises are also attributed to Peg Leg’s ghost.

Peg Leg’s statement that no grass would ever grow on his grave has certainly come true. It was covered by a parking lot. At the time the lot was built, his body was uncovered by a backhoe and is now buried in the St. Paul’s Anglican Churchyard.

Phoebe Campbell

Although Phoebe Campbell is not typically said to haunt the Courthouse, her story has held the macabre fascination of Londoners for many years.

In July, 1871, Phoebe Campbell claimed that 2 “black-faced” men broke into her home and attempted to shoot her and her husband, George Campbell, after George refused to give them money. Phoebe stated that the gun misfired and that George had tried to defend them but ended up hacked to death by his own axe at the hands of the thieves.

Phoebe’s innocence quickly came into question. People wondered why she had been so unemotional at her husband’s funeral and why she hadn’t defended her husband during the break in. People also wondered why she had been seen talking to her farmhand, Tom Coyle, soon after George’s death.

Phoebe was arrested and soon began to claim that Tom Coyle had murdered George. Shortly thereafter, Phoebe changed her story again, stating that it was her cousin who had killed George.

At trial, a letter that Phoebe had written to Tom while she was in jail surfaced. It stated, “I shall never say you done such a thing again – even if I have to die for it”. When asked by the judge why she no longer believed that Tom had murdered her husband, Phoebe claimed that George’s ghost had visited her and had declared both her and Tom innocent.

The jury did not believe Phoebe’s stories and she was found guilty within an hour. Phoebe was sentenced the hang and later confessed that it was she and Tom Coyle who had murdered George Campbell. They had fallen in love and wanted to marry and thus axed George to death in front of Phoebe’s 3 year old daughter and 10 month old son.

Although Tom was tried for his part in the murder, he was acquitted and left for England. He did not attend Phoebe’s hanging.

Phoebe was hanged in 1872. It is said that the executioner refused to hang her and a prisoner had to do it. It is also said that she went to the gallows without a trace of emotion and that her lace handkerchief hung in her hand for one minute after the trap door had sprung. Commemorative postcards of the hanging were issued and bought by many.

Cornelius Burleigh

In the summer of 1829, Constable Timothy Conklin Pomeroy, was in pursuit of Cornelius Burley who was wanted for arson, theft, and destroying cattle. Pomeroy followed Burley to the property of Burley’s Uncle, Henrich Ribble, and cousins, Anthony and David Ribble, where he was later found dead by rifle shot. Burley’s hat was at the scene of the crime, implicating him for the murder, along with Henrich, Anthony and David.

All four were arrested and kept at a temporary wooden courthouse that Burley could have easily attempted to break free from. However, Burley chose to stay in jail as he believed he would soon be found innocent of his alleged crime.

However, Burley was found guilty and was sentenced to hang on August 19, 1830. An estimated 3000 people showed up to witness Burley’s hanging. Reverend James Jackson obtained a confession from Burley that he read from the scaffold of the gallows:

"I accordingly presented my rifle, and ordered him to stand back, but gave him no time to escape till I fired on him, which shot was instrumental in bringing him to an untimely grave, and me to this disgraceful end. Yes! O yes! It was I who did this murderous deed; it was I alone who was guilty of shedding the blood of that trusty man, Mr. Pomeroy, who was faithfully performing his duty to his King and his country." (Doty, “Hanging Days”).

These words allowed the Ribbles to go free and Reverend Jackson later printed and sold handbills of the confession.

Burley was hanged but the rope snapped and after waking up from being knocked unconscious, Burley was made to step to the gallows again. Burley then had to wait while a new rope was bought from a store across the street. The second time took and Burley was thus the first and second man to be hanged at the Middlesex County Courthouse.

Burley’s body was then dissected in public by surgeons. His skull was sold to Phrenologist, Orson Squire Fowler, who toured with it throughout Canada and the States for 50 years. The skull was then put on display at the Eldon House Museum in London, Ontario, until the family reclaimed it in 2001 and gave Cornelius a proper burial.

Many people believe Cornelius was innocent of his crime. Regardless of innocence or guilt, the treatment he received at the gallows may have been enough for him to haunt to the Courthouse.

The Investigation

The Paranormal Knights had the privilege of investigating the Middlesex County Courthouse in May, 2010. Did we find the ghost of Peg Leg Brown, Phoebe Campbell, or Cornelius Burley? Perhaps we found the ghosts of the 16 other people who hung at the Courthouse gallows.