Sophia Pooley - An Enslaved Woman
The story of Sophia Pooley may well be the only existing first-person narrative of someone who lived in slavery in Canada. She was interviewed by Benjamin Drew: her story was published in his interviews in 1856 when she was over 90 years old.
Topic:
Sophia Pooley (1766-1856) was born in New York state where her master (or owner) was Joseph Harris (according to Jane Mulkewich's research). Later, she was brought to Canada as a young girl by Joseph Brant, a Mohawk Chief, whom she lived with for almost 30 years, and later she was sold to Samuel Hatt, before getting her freedom. Other prominent settlers including early settlers of Oakville make a guest appearance in Sophia's story.
Speaker:
Jane Mulkewich is a seventh-generation descendant of some of the first white settlers in Ontario, and her own family genealogy research combined with her anti-racism work has led to her research on indigenous history and racialized people in Ontario. A graduate of McMaster University, she has held some high-profile roles doing anti-racism work with the Hamilton Police Service and with McMaster University, and went to law school at the University of Western Ontario when she was in her 40s. Currently Jane is Legal Director (with a team of five lawyers) of a large union representing 75,000 essential workers across Ontario in a wide range of sectors. Jane lives in Dundas, and has two adult sons.
Date & Time:
March 18, 2026
7:30-9:30pm
Please plan to arrive by 7:15pm. Street parking is limited.
Location:
The Coach House
8 Navy Street, Oakville
Admission & Registration:
Admission: Free to the public
Registration: Non required.