Gordon Haliburton was born in Avonport, Nova Scotia. He studied at Acadia and Dalhousie universities and received his PhD from the University of London. For many years, Haliburton’s research and teaching interests centred on Africa, but has recently revived an earlier interest in local history. His previous publications include Family Ties: The Ancestral and Familial Connections of Thomas Chandler Haliburton and The Story of the Rev. Duncan Ross.