Peter C. Butler III
Peter C. Butler III was a notable figure in Canadian law enforcement, born in 1859 in Biddulph Township, Ontario. His family had a legacy of fleeing slavery in the United States and had a deep understanding of herbal medicine, passed down from his grandfather and father, who acted as community doctors. Butler began his career in law enforcement in 1883 with the Middlesex County Police Service and later served in the Ontario Provincial Police from 1913. Renowned for his imposing presence, he maintained order without the need for a firearm, instead demonstrating an unusual level of compassion for those he encountered, such as buying beer for prisoners and providing shelter to intoxicated individuals. He retired at the age of seventy-seven and passed away in 1943. Butler's contributions have left a lasting impact, inspiring future generations of Black Canadian law enforcement officials. Notably, the Association of Black Law Enforcers honors his legacy through the Peter Butler III–Rose Fortune Scholarship. His life exemplifies resilience and service within the community, making him a significant figure in the history of law enforcement in Canada.
Peter C. Butler III
Police officers
- Born: 1859
- Birthplace: Biddulph Township, Ontario, Canada (Peter C. Butler III); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or Virginia (Rose Fortune)
- Died: 1943
- Place of death: Lucan, Ontario, Canada (Peter C. Butler III); Nova Scotia, Canada (Rose Fortune)
Significance: Peter C. Butler III and Rose Fortune were Canada’s first black police officers, together paving the way for black Canadians in law enforcement.
Background
Rose Fortune was born into slavery on March 13, 1774, in what would later become the United States, but was then a British colony. Sources are divided on whether she was born in Philadelphia or Virginia. Shortly after her birth, Fortune’s family joined the movement of the Black Loyalists, a group of slaves who were guaranteed freedom by the British government if they sided with Great Britain during the American Revolution. After the war, Fortune and her family settled in Nova Scotia with the assistance of the British.
Peter C. Butler III was born in Biddulph Township, Ontario, nearly a century later, in 1859. His family had lived in Canada since the time of Butler’s grandfather, who had fled there after escaping slavery in the United States. Butler’s father and grandfather had extensive knowledge of herbal medicine and served as doctors for their community, despite a lack of formal education.
Work in Law Enforcement
Since Nova Scotia was a maritime province that bordered the Atlantic Ocean, Fortune was able to find work on the coast as a baggage carrier, taking luggage from the port area to commercial areas in town. Soon, she used her business acumen to establish her own cartage company. At the time, the Nova Scotian town she lived in, Annapolis Royal, did not have an official police force, so Fortune took it upon herself to create one. She appointed herself as commissioner and oversaw such law enforcement tactics as maintaining a city-wide curfew and ensuring that wharves and ports were protected from thieves. Fortune was also known to personally inflict corporal punishment upon youths whom she considered to be troublemakers. As she was not paid for her law enforcement activities, her cartage company remained her main source of income. Fortune died in 1864.
Butler’s career began in 1883, when he became a member of the Middlesex County Police Service. Then, in 1913, he became an officer in the Ontario Provincial Police. Since his imposing presence adequately frightened lawbreakers, Butler did not find it necessary to even wear a gun during his patrol. Despite his tough approach, however, Butler displayed generosity that was atypical of a policeman at the time, and he famously made a routine of purchasing beer for prisoners. He was also known to allow those charged with public intoxication to stay at his home overnight rather than spend the night at the local jail.
He retired at the age of seventy-seven, and spent a mere seven years in retirement before passing away in 1943 at the age of eighty-four. At his funeral, Butler was lauded for his groundbreaking accomplishments, and many important people were in attendance, including dignitaries from the United States and around the world.
Impact
Fortune and Butler have served as an inspiration to black Canadian law enforcement officials into the twenty-first century. The Association of Black Law Enforcers (ABLE) named its Peter Butler III–Rose Fortune Scholarship in their honor. One of Fortune’s direct descendants, Daurene Elaine Lewis, became Canada’s first black female mayor.
Personal Life
Fortune had at least three children, Jane, John, and Margaret. Many of her descendants still work in the shipping and trucking business.
Butler’s family owned 500 hectares of land, encompassing most of what became the town of Lucan. Though Butler did not use a gun on the job, he owned a large collection of firearms, including one which had belonged to the infamous Donnelly clan. He had at least one child, but little information about his family is available.
Bibliography
Bornath, L. M. "Peter C. Butler III." Famous Canadians. Author, 31 Aug. 2003. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
Culbert, Terry. Lucan: Home of the Donnellys. Renfrew: General Store, 2005. Print.
Elgersman, Maureen G. Unyielding Spirits: Black Women and Slavery in Early Canada and Jamaica. 1999. Reprint. New York: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Forster, Merna. 100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces. Tonawanda: Dundurn, 2004. Print.
"Rose Fortune." Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, 4 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
"Rose Fortune." Parks Canada. Parks Canada, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
"Rose Fortune—A ‘Privileged Character.’" Annapolis Heritage Society. Annapolis Heritage Soc., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.