Executions at Tyburn 1725 – 1734.

 

With special thanks to Mr. Dave Mossop for allowing me to publish the results of his years of painstaking research thus enabling this unique insight into 18th century crime and punishment.  If you would like more detail on some of these cases or wish to view the trial transcripts, go to the Old Bailey on-line website at  http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/

 

582 death sentences were passed during this decade on 494 men and 88 women.  Of these 320 men and 25 women were duly executed.  Overall reprieve rate : 41.2%

Male reprieves : 35.8% Female reprieves : 71.59%.

 

1725

There were 6 “hanging days” at Tyburn with 30 men and 2 women being hanged.

56 people were sentenced to death in this year, comprising 46 men and 10 women. 

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

Tuesday 5th January
(sentenced in 1724)

William Anderson

Assault & robbery

 

The Sessions held on the 15th of January resulted in 9 men being sentenced to death of whom 3 were reprieved. 

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

Monday 1st February

John Hewlet

Murder

William Lipsat

Stealing in a dwelling house

Thomas Bradley

Highway robbery

Joseph Picken

Highway robbery

Thomas Packer

Highway robbery

Edward Johnson (or Pollet)

Privately stealing from person

 

The February Sessions that began on the 24th resulted in a further 4 men being sentenced to death, all of whom were reprieved. 

 

9 men and 4 women were sentenced to death at the 7th of April Sessions. 2 men and 3 women were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

 

Friday 30th April

Mary Hanson

Murder of brother in law

Vincent Davis

Murder of wife

William Eaton

Highway robbery

Bryan Smith

Sending threatening letter

Thomas Lloyd

Burglary

John Guy

Killing deer

James Camell

Highway robbery

William Marshall

Highway robbery

 

5 men were condemned at the 13th of May Sessions, of whom 1 was reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Monday 24th May

Robert Sanford

Highway robbery

William Sperry

Highway robbery

Jonathan Wilde

Receiving stolen goods etc.

Robert Harpham

H/T coining

 

The Sessions on the 30th of June saw 1 woman get the death sentence for Petty Treason.  There is no report of her execution or of a reprieve.

 

The next Sessions began on the 27h of August and resulted in 5 men and 2 women being sentenced to death.  1 man and 1 of the women were reprieved. 1 man died in prison.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Monday 13th September

Jane Wilkinson

Privately stealing from person

John Price

Burglary

Thomas Wooldridge

Burglary

John Little

Housebreaking

 

6 men and a woman received death sentences at the October Sessions on the 13th of that month with 2 men being subsequently reprieved.  The woman died in Newgate.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Wednesday 3rd November

James Carter

Theft

James Little

Highway robbery

Foster Snow

Murder

John Whalebone

At large

 

The December Sessions opened on the 8th and 8 men and 2 women received death sentences of whom 2 men and 1 woman were reprieved.  3 men and the women were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Wednesday 22nd December

Richard Scurrier

Stealing in a shop

James Bird

Highway robbery

John Hemp

Highway robbery

John Austin

Highway robbery

John Foster

Housebreaking

 

1726

52 men and 12 women were sentenced to death during this year. 26 men and 5 women were hanged and 1 woman burned at the stake at 7 “hanging days”. 1 man died in Newgate before he could be  sentenced.

 

The first Sessions of 1726 were held on the 14th January and resulted in death sentences on 2 men, neither being reprieved

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

Friday 18th February

Samuel Sells

Highway robbery

John Mattocks

Highway robbery

 

7 men were condemned at the March Sessions on the 2nd of whom 2 men were later reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

Monday 14th March

Benjamin Jones

Housebreaking

Francis Bailey

Housebreaking

William Yates (Vulcan)

Outlaw

William Swift

Highway robbery

John Barton

Burglary

 

13 men and 2 women were condemned at the 20th of April Sessions, with 3 men being later reprieved and 2 dying in prison.  Katherine Hayes was burned at the stake for the Petty Treason murder of her husband.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

 

 

Monday 9th May

John Cotterel

Housebreaking

John Gillingham

Highway robbery

John Map

Highway robbery

Gabriel Lawrence

Sodomy

William Griffin

Sodomy

Thomas Wright

Sodomy

Henry Vigous

Highway robbery

James Dupree

Housebreaking

Thomas Billings

Murder

Katherine Hayes

P/T murder of husband

Thomas Billings had assisted Katherine Hayes in the murder of her husband and was hanged in chains after execution on the Paddington Road.

 

The next Sessions opened on the 25th of May and resulted in death sentences on 7 men of whom 4 were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Monday 27th June

William Hollis

Burglary

William Brown

Stealing in a shop

John Murrel

Horse theft

 

The Sessions on 13th of July resulted in 9 men and 1 woman being condemned of whom 4 men were reprieved and 2 died in prison.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Wednesday 3rd August

John Claxon

Unknown - mentioned in sentencing summary

Edward Reynolds

Mary Stanford

Privately stealing from person

Thomas Smith

Highway robbery

 

The August Sessions opened on the 31st and led to death sentences being passed on 5 men and 7 women.  Of these 3 men and 1 woman were reprieved and 1 man died in prison.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

 

Monday 12th September

Frances Blacket

Highway robbery

William Allison

Horse theft

John Cartwright

Stealing in a dwelling house

Mary Robinson

Stealing in a shop

Jane Holmes

Stealing in a shop

Katherine Fitzpatrick

Stealing in a shop

Jane Martin

At large

 

7 men and 1 woman were sentenced to death at the October Sessions on the 12th of that month.  5 men and the woman being later reprieved. 

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

Thursday 3rd November

Joseph Smith

Privately stealing from person

Anthony Drury

Highway robbery

 

2 men and 2 women were condemned at the December Sessions on the 7th of whom 1 man and the 2 women were reprieved.  The other man was held over for execution in 1727.

 

1727

30 men and 10 women were sentenced to death during this year.  There were 5 “hanging days” at Tyburn this year with 15 men and 1 woman being hanged.

 

As a result of the January Sessions on the 13th of the month, 3 men and 2 women were sentenced to death of whom 2 of the men and the women were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

Monday 13th February
(sentenced 1726)

William Miller

Highway robbery

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

Monday 13th February
(sentenced 1727)

Robert Haines

Murder

 

3 men received death sentences at the 22nd of February Sessions of whom 1 was reprieved. 

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

Wednesday 22nd March

Thomas Wheeler

Burglary

John Fox

Privately stealing from person

 

The April Sessions on the 12th of that month resulted in 4 men being condemned, of whom 3 were reprieved and 1 died in gaol.

 

A man and a woman were condemned at the 17th of May Sessions but both reprieved.

 

The July Sessions saw 5 men and 3 women condemned, of whom 2 of the men and the women were reprieved. 

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Friday 11th August

Thomas Timms

Highway robbery

Thomas Perry

Highway robbery

Edward Brown

Highway robbery

 

5 men and a woman were sentenced to hang at the August Sessions on the 30th of the month, of whom 1 man and the woman were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Monday 18th September

Samuel Hammond

Murder

Henry Chaplin

Burglary

Peter Boother

Burglary

Thomas Johnson

At large

 

4 men and 2 women were condemned at the October Sessions on the 17th of that month, with 1 woman being reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

Monday 20th November

Sarah Griffith

Burglary

Richard Lyon

Burglary

John Turner

Highway robbery

John Johnson

H/T coining

Samuel Johnson (Cabbage)

At large

 

The Sessions held on the 6th December resulted in death sentences being passed on 5 men and 1 woman, of whom at least 3 men and the woman were reprieved.  There is no confirmation of either a reprieve or an execution for the other 2 men, who appear to have been respited.

 

1728

 

There were 7 “hanging days” at Tyburn in 1728 with 44 men and 9 women being executed.  63 men and 15 women were condemned during this year. 

 

The first Sessions of the New Year were held on the 17th of January resulting in 7 men being condemned of whom 2 were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

Monday 12th February

Joseph Barrett

Murder (son)

James Sherwood (Hobs)

Highway robbery/burglary

George Weedon

Highway robbery/burglary

Henry Hews

Burglary

Richard Jones

Housebreaking

 

The February 28th Sessions led to another 6 men and 2 women being sentenced to death of whom 4 men were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

Wednesday 27th March

Benjamin Branch

Highway robbery

Martin Bellamy

Burglary

Margaret Wallis (alias Stainens)

Burglary

Margaret Murphew

Theft

James Staggles

Highway robbery

 

The 1st of May Sessions were a very busy affair with 21 men and 8 women condemned. Of these 5 men and 4 women were reprieved and 1 man died in Newgate.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday 20th May

Hester Landell

Mentioned in sentencing summary only

Mary Henderson

Aid and abet illegal marriage

Margaret Pendergrass

Aid and abet illegal marriage

Christopher Rawlins

Highway robbery

Isaac Ashby

Highway robbery

John Rawden

Highway robbery

John Cobbs

Highway robbery

James Toon

Highway robbery

William Septon (or Seaton)

Highway robbery

Edward Benson

Highway robbery

George Gale

Highway robbery

Thomas Crowder

Highway robbery

Richard Nicholls

Stealing in a shop

William Russell

Highway robbery

William Holden

Highway robbery

Robert Crouch

Highway robbery

Mary Taylor

Privately stealing from person

John Hornby

Highway robbery

James Smith

Stealing in a dwelling house

 

The June Sessions opened on the 5th saw a further 6 men and 2 women condemned.  Of these 2 men and 1 woman were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

Wednesday 26th June

Thomas Ward

Burglary

Richard Hews

Highway robbery

Thomas Jinkins

Housebreaking

Bryan Maguire

Mentioned in sentencing summary only

Eleanor Benson

Privately stealing from person

 

3 men were sentenced to hang at the 17th of July Sessions.  Of these 2 were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

Friday 23rd August

James Haddock

Stealing

 

5 men and a woman were condemned at the August Sessions which opened on the 28th.  1 man being subsequently reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

Wednesday 11th September

James Mow (Harris)

Stealing in a dwelling house

Griffin Owen

Highway robbery

Thomas Medling

Highway robbery

Samuel Harris

Highway robbery

Eleanor Reddy

Stealing in a dwelling house

 

15 men and 1 woman were condemned at the October Sessions on the 16th.  Of these only 3men were reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday 11th November

Thomas White

Highway robbery

Thomas Evans

Highway robbery

Nathaniel Walker

Highway robbery

William Taylor

Highway robbery

Charles Mackcullister

Highway robbery

John Hyrons

Highway robbery

Anthony Meagre

Highway robbery

Peter Levee

Highway robbery

John Fetherby

Highway robbery

Thomas Vaux

Highway robbery

Stephen Barnham

Highway robbery

Elizabeth Powell

Housebreaking

John Oney

At large

 

The final Sessions of the year took place on the 4th of December with just 1 woman being sentenced to death.  She was subsequently reprieved.

 

1729

 

There were 8 “hanging days” at Tyburn in 1729 with 30 men and 2 women being executed.  47 men and 10 women were condemned during this year. 

 

The 16th of January Sessions saw 6 men and 1 woman receive death sentences, 2 of the men were reprieved.

 

Date

Name

Crime

 

 

Friday 7th February

Jeremiah Cray

Highway robbery

William Davis

Burglary

Thomas Neaves

Stealing in a shop

Thomas Revell

Stealing in a dwelling house

Elizabeth Cook

Stealing in a dwelling house

 

Death sentences were passed on 14 men and 2 women at the February Sessions on the 26th of that month, 2 men and the 2 women being later reprieved.  2 of the men managed to break out of prison.

 

Date

Name

Crime

 

 

 

 

Monday 24th March

Nicholas Dawling

Housebreaking

Charles Cook

Housebreaking

Peter Owen (Kelly)

Murder

John Edmonds

Horse theft

William Lythe

Horse theft

Timothy Cotton

Highway robbery

William Marple

Highway robbery

John Bowen (Bowling)

Stealing in a shop

Henry Geahagan

H/T coining

 

Date

Name

Crime

Monday 31st March

Robert Blake

H/T coining

 

3 men and 1 woman were condemned at the 16th of April Sessions of whom only 1 man was to hang.

 

Date

Name

Crime

Monday 19th of May

Jepthan Bigg

Sending threatening letter

 

4 men were condemned at the 21st of May Sessions and all reprieved.

 

5 men and 2 women received death sentences at the July Sessions on the 9th.  The sentences on 1 man and the 2 women were commuted. 

 

Date

Name

Crime

Friday 25th July

James Cluff

Murder

 

Date

Name

Crime

 

Friday 22nd August

Thomas James Grundy

Burglary

Joseph Kemp

Burglary

Benjamin Wildman

Highway robbery

 

The 27th of August Sessions resulted in 4 men and 1 woman being condemned. 1 man and the woman were reprieved.

 

5 men and 1 woman received death sentences at the 15th of October Sessions.  Only 1 man was reprieved.

 

Date of execution

Name

Crime

 

 

 

Friday 21st November

William Simpson

Horse theft

James Bolton

Horse theft

William Rogers

At large