Murdered wife and 6 of 9 children. Protested innocence until end.

Notorious... (for) well-known criminal act (that) shocked the inmates of every home in
the land. He was always perverse in disposition and extremely obstinate and self-willed. It is said that when a boy his mother upbraided him for excessive butter eating and it threw him into such a terrible rage that he swore he would eat no more butter while he lived. It is said he kept this oath inviolate.

From the 26 Jan 1832 Ontario newspaper The London Sun;

Sunday night or early on Monday morning - the inmates of the house of Mr. Serils of Windham were
awoke from the slumbers of the night by Henry Sovereign of the same Township, their nearest, and we suppose, most intimate neighbor, who informed them that his family was
attacked and murdered by two men disguised and blackened, and that he himself escaped with several wounds. Mr. Serils. immediately repaired to the scene of bloodshed, and in approaching the house found Mrs. Sovereign and one of her sons, a lad about 12 years old, lying lifeless corps about 80 yards from the house. a few yards distant from those lay her eldest daughter, a girl of 17 years old. and on checking the dwelling house the lifeless bodies of three other children presented themselves. (a description of the bodies follows) The wife and six children having it appears fallen a victim to the hand of a husband and a father. '9

Also articles in The Upper Canada Herald on the trial .

Henry Sovereen, on the night of Jan 22/23,1832. brutally murdered his wife Polly and seven of their eleven children. A baby luckily escaped injury and three children were away from home at the time of the atrocity.

JOHN MASSACRE SWORN. Is a Constable, and heard of the murder of prisoners family at the early hour on the morning of the 23d of January-; went to prisoners house; the bodies were all removed to the house when witness arrived there. The prisoner was observed by witness to go out several times and slowly to walk about the place where his wife was murdered. He appeared as if he was looking for something. Witness watched him closely. having, from the first moment suspected him to be the murderer; he repeated his visits to the shed where his wife was found, and at every visit appeared to be in search of something. When the prisoner left the shed witness went there; and Going from the house to the shed he discerned very distinct traces of blood, which he conceived to be that of his wife, who he supposed, was first wounded in the house and proceeded thence to the shed where she expired. . Witness found the blade of a knife quite bloody close by where Mrs. Sovereen lay; showed it to several persons, and amongst others to the sons of Mr. John Sovereen. who said if the handle could be found they should be able to determine whether it belonged to prisoners family or not: and handle was soon found near the place where the blade was picked up; it fitted the blade exactly, and was identified by Mr. John Sovereen's sons as the property of prisoner 5 son. David, one of the murdered boys. Witness immediately arrested prisoner and on tying him. searched his pockets lest he might have Any instrument about him capable of doing injury; on attempting to put his hand into the prisoner's vest pocket, prisoner declared there was nothing in it; witness however found in it a Jack Knife with the blade blood,'; witness picked up a broom stick which was also blood;', on showing it to the prisoner he said that one of the children died on it. A beetle or maul used for the purpose of splitting wood to make shingles was found in the house by another person. it was blood;' and nearly covered with human hair of different colors.

The Jury returned a guilty verdict in less than an hour, Sovereen did not break down or admit his guilt. He was hanged Aug11, 1832

Lot 1 Con. V, Townsend Twp., Norfolk County, Ontario:

Husband Murdered wife and 6 of 9 children. Protested innocence until end.
Notorious ... (for) well-known criminal act (that) shocked the inmates of every home in
the land. He was always perverse in disposition and extremely obstinate and self-willed. It is
said that when a boy his mother upbraided him for excessive butter eating and it threw him into
such a terrible rage that he swore he would eat no more butter while he lived. It is said he kept
this oath inviolate.
From the 26 Jan 1832 Ontario newspaper The London Sun:
"On Sunday night or early on Monday morning - the inmates of the house of Mr. Serils of
Windham were awoke from the slumbers of the night by Henry Soveireen of the same
Township, their nearest, and we suppose, most intimate neighbor, who informed them that his
family was attacked and murdered by two men disguised and blackened, and that he himself
escaped with several wounds. Mr. Serils... immediately repaired to the scene of bloodshed, and
in approaching the house found Mrs. Sovereign and one ofher sons, a lad about 12 years old,
lying lifeless corps about 80 yards from the house, a few yards distant from those lay her eldest
daughter, a girl of 17 years old, and on checking the dwelling house the lifeless bodies of three
other children presented themselves. (a description of the bodies follows) The wife and six
children having it appears fallen a victim to the ferosity of a husband and a father."
Also articles in The Upper Canada Herald on the trial.
Henry Sovereign was executed by hanging although he swore he was innocent.
The Trail and Execution of Henry Sovereen, August 1832
The accounts of this trail appeared in all the major papers of the time.
Henry Sovereen, on the night of Jan 22/23, 1832, brutally murdered his wife Polly and seven of
their eleven children. A baby luckily escaped injury and three children were away from home at
the time of the atrocity.
JOHN MASSACER SWORN. .. Is a Constable, and heard of the murder of the
prisoners family at the early hour on the morning of the 23d of January; went to prisoners
house; the bodies were all removed to the house when the witness arrived there. The prisoner
was observed by witness to go out several times and slowly to walk about the place where his
wife was murdered. He appeared as if he was looking for something. Witness watched him
closely, having, from the first moment suspected him to be the murderer; he repeated his visits
to the shed where his wife was found, and at every visit appeared to be in search of something.
When the prisoner left the shed witness went there; and going from the house to the shed he
discerned very distinct traces of blood, which he conceived to be that of his wife, who he
supposed, was first wounded in the house and proceeded thence to the shed where she expired.
..Witness found the blade of a knife quite bloody close by where Mrs. Sovereene lay; showed it
to several persons, and amongst others to the sons of Mr. John Sovereene, who said if the
handle could be found they should be able to determine whether it belonged to prisoners family
or not; and handle was soon found near the place where the blade was picked up; it fitted the
blade exactly, and was identified by Mr. John Sovereene's sons as the property of prisoner's
son, David, one of the murdered boys. Witness immediately arrested prisoner and on tying him,
searched his pockets lest he might have any instrument about him capable of doing injury; on
attempting to put his hand into the prisoner's vest pocket, prisoner declared there was nothing
in it; witness however found in it a JackKnife with the blade bloody; witness picked up a broom
stick which was also bloody, on showing it to the prisoner he said that one of the children died
on it. A beetle or maul used for the purpose of splitting wood to make shingles was found in the
house by another person, it was bloody and nearly covered with human hair of different colours.
The jury retired and returned a verdict of guilty in less than a hour.Sovereen did not break down
or admit his guilt. He was hanged Aug 11, 1832.

More information on Mr. Sovereign/Sovereen can be found in volume VI of the Dictionary of
Canadian Biography, pp. 729-730 and in Orlo Miller's book titled, Twenty Mortal Murders:
Bizarre Murder Cases from Canada's Past, pp.45-53.