LogoutMr. William Poole
William Poole was born in 1918 in Neepawa, Manitoba, into a prominent family – his father was a surgeon and Conservative politician, his mother an educated teacher. After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Manitoba (1934-1939) and serving in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II (1939-1945), Poole pursued English literature at McGill University before entering Osgoode Hall Law School (1946-1949). He articled with the prestigious Toronto firm Blake, Anglin, Osler & Cassels before joining Elliott, Hume, McKague & Hume.
Poole developed a distinguished criminal law practice, handling numerous high-profile murder cases and developing a reputation for defending unpopular clients with moral courage. He represented clients in several notable cases including the Suchan and Jackson case, the Brian Beaucage case related to the Kingston prison riots, and the controversial ‘Ingersoll Murder’ case where he defended a Black man accused of killing a white nurse despite significant community hostility. Throughout his career, Poole maintained strong ethical principles regarding solicitor-client privilege and demonstrated a thoughtful approach to capital punishment and criminal justice reform. His practice brought him before prominent judges including Chief Justice McRuer and involved complex legal issues around evidence, jury selection, and trial strategy.
This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.
References
The following are a selection of topics discussed in this oral history.
- Court of Appeal
- Supreme Court of Canada
- Osgoode Hall Law School
- University of Manitoba
- University of Western Ontario
- Attorney General's Department
- Board of Education
- Governor General in Council
- Manitoba House
- Ministry of Health
- Privy Council
- School Board
- Battle of Waterloo
- drought
- dust storms
- Great Depression
- Kingston riots
- World War II
- England
- Ingersoll
- Ireland
- Kingston
- London
- Manitoba
- Ontario
- Paris
- Scotland
- Selma Alabama
- Toronto
- Windsor
- Woodstock
- Blake, Anglin, Osler & Cassels
- Elliott, Hume
- Brian Beaucage case
- Deeks v. Wells
- Ingersoll Murder
- Rowe case
- Suchan and Jackson case
- Westminster Hospital case
- Allan Leal
- Arthur Martin
- Bill Somerville
- Bob Sharpe
- Bora Laskin
- Brian Beaucage
- Britton Osler
- Caesar Wright
- Charlie Comfort
- Chief Justice Gale
- Chief Justice McRuer
- Dusty Rhodes
- Fred Hume
- Harold Walker
- Howard Ferguson
- Janet Boland
- Janet Lang
- Janet Morris
- John Hodgins
- John Robarts
- Michael Martin
- Mr. Mason
- Nellie McLung
- Norman Munnock
- R.D. Hume
- Red Jack Thompson
- Royce Frith
- Sam Grange
- Sidney Dymond
- Sir Edmund Walker
- Stanley Edwards
- Thelma Kerr
- Victor McKague
- Wilfred Judson
- William Robert Poole
- College of Physicians and Surgeons
- Dominion Council of Medicine
- Law Society
- Manitoba Medical Association
- 1870s
- 1890s
- 1910s
- 1920s
- 1930s
- 1940s
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- Articling
- Bar Admission
- Break and Enter
- Capital Punishment
- Criminal Procedure
- dying declarations
- Evidence
- Jury Selection
- Legal Aid
- Legal Education
- Manslaughter
- motor manslaughter
- Murder
- perjury
- Plea Bargaining
- provocation
- self-defence
- Solicitor-Client Privilege
- theft
Some of these references were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Archive Details
Files consist of oral history records documenting the life and career of William Poole (b. 1918), former senior partner of Poole, Porter in London, Ontario. Interview topics include: University of Manitoba; World War II, navy; McGill University; Osgoode Hall Law School; articling; early practice; select cases; University of Western Ontario, lecturer; Counsel, Milk Marketing Board; William's Commission on Freedom in Information; Ontario Law Reform Commission, 1964, member. Interview conducted by Christine J.N. Kates. File includes eight audio cassette recordings from a series of three interviews and a transcript with index (248 p.).