Peter Evander McKerrow

Peter Evander McKerrow (February 23, 1841 — December 22, 1906) was the first Afro-Caribbean-Canadian author and the first Black historian in Nova Scotia.[2]

Peter E. McKerrow
Born
Peter Evander McKerrow

February 23, 1841
DiedDecember 22, 1906[1]
NationalityAntigua and Barbuda Antiguan
Occupation(s)Furrier
Church Clerk
Author

Early history

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Peter Evander McKerrow was born in Antigua, British West Indies, on February 23, 1841.[3]

A young British West Indies sailor, he arrived in Nova Scotia.[4] Subsequently, he turned into a merchant and businessman in Halifax, where he worked in partnership with Thomas Fur Co. until 1894.[5]

On February 9, 1863, he married Mary Thomas in Halifax.[6]

In 1874, he became an active member of the African Baptist Church, acting as secretary in 1875 for thirty consecutive years.[7][8]

His book "A Brief History of the Coloured Baptists of Nova Scotia, and Their First Organization as Churches, A.D. 1832" was published in 1895, which gave him the distinction of being the first Black historian of the province.[9]

Death

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McKerrow died from tuberculosis in Halifax, Nova Scotia on December 22, 1906.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Peter E. McKerrow death | Nova Scotia Births, Marriages, and Deaths". archives.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  2. ^ Winks, R. W. (2021). Blacks in Canada: A History. United Kingdom: McGill-Queen's University Press.
  3. ^ McKerrow, P. E., Boyd, M. I. A. (1976). McKerrow: A Brief History of the Coloured Baptists of Nova Scotia, 1783-1895. Canada: Afro Nova Scotian Enterprises.
  4. ^ Mathieu, S. (2010). North of the Color Line: Migration and Black Resistance in Canada, 1870-1955. United States: University of North Carolina Press.
  5. ^ "LEO J. DEVEAU: This Week in Nova Scotia History: Dec. 19-25". www.saltwire.com. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  6. ^ "Peter E. McKerrow and Mary E. Thomas | Nova Scotia Births, Marriages, and Deaths". archives.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  7. ^ "GRASP - November 1976 | Nova Scotia Historical Newspapers". archives.novascotia.ca. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
  8. ^ Judith Fingard, “McKERROW, PETER EVANDER,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 13, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed June 4, 2024, http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/mckerrow_peter_evander_13E.html
  9. ^ McKerrow, P. E. (1895). A Brief History of the Coloured Baptists of Nova Scotia, and Their First Organization as Churches, A.D. 1832 .... Canada: Nova Scotia Printing Company.
  10. ^ Fosty, G. R., Fosty, D. (2007). Black Ice. United States: Stryker-Indigo Publishing Company.