|
Executions at Tyburn 1735 – 1744. |
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, have
a look at the Old Bailey on-line website at http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/
302 people
were put to death at Tyburn during this decade after trial at the Old
Bailey. The total comprised 271 men and 29 women who were hanged and 2
women who were burned at the stake for Petty Treason. 1 more man was
hanged at Fetter Lane Holborn (see 1742) and is not included in the crime analysis
figures below.
Just 26 of these executions were for murder, including 3 of women who murdered
their bastard children, 2 who were guilty of Petty Treason as they had killed
their husbands and 1 man, guilty of the same offence, as he had killed his
master.
No less
than 128 people were hanged for highway robbery, by far the most common crime
to attract the death penalty. Burglary accounted for 33
hangings and housebreaking 26. A full breakdown by year and crime
is below. Death sentences were carried out for 23 separate crimes in this
decade.
A total of
516 people were sentenced to death – 430 men and 86 women. The reprieve
rate was therefore 36.75% for men, 63.16% for women and 41.28% overall.
Surprisingly, reprieves were given in at least 3 cases of murder. It is
not clear at this remove what led to particular decisions in any given case as
to whether to reprieve or not. Although highway robbery was by far the
most common crime for which people were actually hanged, there are reprieves
for this as well.
The
smallest number of executions in a single year was 17 in 1740, the largest
numbers being 48 in 1738 and 42 in 1742. The largest simultaneous
execution occurred on
Analysis by Year.
|
|
Death sentences |
Executions |
||
|
Year |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
|
1735 |
59 |
9 |
31 |
4 |
|
1736 |
32 |
5 |
19 |
0 |
|
1737 |
46 |
10 |
23 |
2 |
|
1738 |
54 |
4 |
43 |
5 |
|
1739 |
42 |
6 |
28 |
2 |
|
1740 |
31 |
12 |
15 |
2 |
|
1741 |
49 |
19 |
27 |
6 |
|
1742 |
41 |
5 |
33 |
2 |
|
1743 |
37 |
8 |
15 |
3 |
|
1744 |
42 |
8 |
37 |
5 |
|
Sub totals |
433 |
86 |
271 |
31 |
|
Total death sentences 519 |
Total executions 302 |
|||
Analysis
of executions by crime.
|
Crime |
No. of executions |
|
Murder (including of wife) |
20 |
|
Murder of bastard child |
3 |
|
Petty Treason murder |
3 |
|
Highway robbery |
128 |
|
Housebreaking |
27 |
|
Burglary |
33 |
|
Horse theft |
12 |
|
Stealing in a dwelling house |
16 |
|
Rape |
6 |
|
High Treason - coining offences |
7 |
|
Arson |
1 |
|
Forgery |
7 |
|
Robbery in a dwelling house |
11 |
|
Privately stealing from person |
10 |
|
Uttering |
2 |
|
Stealing in a shop |
3 |
|
At large |
6 |
|
Riot |
0 |
|
Cattle/sheep stealing |
4 |
|
Smuggling |
0 |
|
Other |
3 |
|
Total |
302 |
“Other”
comprises one crime each of Sacrilege, “shot at” – attempted murder with a gun,
sending a threatening letter, and enlisting men in the service of France or
Prussia.
1735
There were
5 “hanging days” at Tyburn with 31 men and 4 women being hanged.
A total of 65
people were sentenced to death in this year of which 34 were hanged and the
rest reprieved, typically to transportation. 9 women were amongst those
condemned.
The
Sessions held on the 16th of January resulted in 2 men and 4 women being
sentenced to death of whom 1 man and 1 woman were reprieved. The February
Sessions that began on the 26th resulted in a further 14 men being sentenced to
death, of whom 9 were hanged and 1 died awaiting execution. All the
executions took place on the 10th of March.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Monday 10th March |
Elizabeth Ambroke |
Murder of her bastard child |
|
Jane Herbert |
Burglary |
|
|
Elizabeth Stevens |
Highway robbery |
|
|
William Williams |
Housebreaking (shop) |
|
|
John Field * |
Housebreaking (shop) |
|
|
Joseph Rose * |
Housebreaking (shop) |
|
|
William Saunders * |
Housebreaking (shop) |
|
|
William Williams |
Burglary |
|
|
William Isaacson |
Burglary |
|
|
Richard Gulliford |
Burglary |
|
|
Robert Jacks |
Burglary |
|
|
John Sindall |
Burglary |
|
|
Burglary |
* = Hanged in chains after execution
near Edgware, together with the body of Humphrey Walker who had died in
Newgate. They were members of the Gregory Gang who’s leader was hanged in
June.
2 men and 3
women were sentenced to death at the April Sessions but all were reprieved.
A further 6
men were condemned at the May Sessions on the 5th of that month, of whom 2 were
reprieved.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Wednesday 4th June |
William Hughes |
Murder of mother |
|
Elton Lewis |
Murder of aunt |
|
|
John Sutton |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Samuel Gregory * |
Housebreaking |
* = Hanged in chains after execution near
Edgware.
The
Sessions on the 2nd of July saw 6 men get the death sentence of whom 5 were
hanged.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Monday 21st July |
John Wilson |
Highway robbery |
|
Robert Morpeth |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Robert Kisst |
Highway robbery |
|
|
John Macdonald |
Horse stealing |
|
|
Thomas Martin |
Horse stealing |
The next
Sessions began on the 11th of September and resulted in 12 men and 1 woman
being sentenced to death. 2 men and the woman were reprieved.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Monday 22nd September |
Joshua Dean (possibly hanged) |
H/T counterfeiting |
|
William Lewis |
Burglary |
|
|
Isaac Dennis |
Highway robbery |
|
|
John Farrell |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Charles Hooper |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Patrick Gaffney |
Stealing in a dwelling house |
|
|
William Phillips |
Horse stealing |
|
|
Edmond Togwell (or Dogwell) |
Rape |
|
|
Peter Matthews |
Rape |
|
|
Rape |
||
|
Charles Conyer (or Conner) |
Murder of wife |
Only 4
death sentences were passed at the October Sessions on the 15th of that
month. 2 men were subsequently reprieved.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Monday 10th November |
Elizabeth Armstrong |
Murder |
|
William Blackwell |
Housebreaking |
The
December Sessions opened on the 10th and 11 men received death sentences of
whom 8 were reprieved and 1 died in gaol. Joseph Cole & Burton Brace
were left for execution in 1736.
1736
32 men and
5 women were sentenced to death during this year. 19 men were hanged at Tyburn.
The first
Sessions of 1736 were held on the 15th January and resulted in 1 death sentence
upon Thomas Bulker.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Wednesday 4th February |
Joseph Cole |
Burglary |
|
Burton Brace |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Thomas Bulker |
Highway robbery |
A woman was
condemned at the February Sessions but later reprieved.
The next
Sessions opened on the 5th of May and resulted in 7 death sentences of which 2
were commuted.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Monday 24th May |
Christopher Freeman |
Burglary |
|
George Ward |
Housebreaking |
|
|
Thomas Tarlton |
Horse theft |
|
|
Francis Owen |
Arson |
The only
death sentence at the June Sessions was that passed on George Watson
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Monday 5th July |
Murder |
The
Sessions on 21st July resulted in 7 men being condemned of whom 3 were
reprieved.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Wednesday 11th August |
John Mackworth |
Housebreaking |
|
Thomas Mills |
Horse theft |
|
|
John Kelsey |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Stephen Phillips |
Horse theft |
On the 8th
of September 6 men were condemned of whom 1 was reprieved and 1 died in gaol.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Monday 22nd September |
Thomas Dwyer |
Highway robbery |
|
James O’Neal |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Highway robbery |
||
|
Edward Rowe |
Shot at |
2 men and a
woman were sentenced to death at the October Sessions on the 13th of that
month. The woman was reprieved. Daniel Malden who had escaped from
jail after the May Sessions was executed with these two men.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Tuesday 2nd November |
Daniel Malden |
Burglary |
|
William Rine |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Samuel Morgan |
Highway robbery |
8 men and 3
women were condemned at the December Sessions on the 8th of that month and as a
result 6 men were hanged on the 7th of March 1737, while 2 women were reprieved
and a man and a woman died in gaol.
1737
46 men and
10 women were sentenced to death during this year of whom 23 men and 1 woman
were hanged and 1 woman burned.
There were
only 3 “hanging days” at Tyburn this year with 25 executions.
As a result
of the January Sessions, 6 men were sentenced to death of whom 2 were reprieved
and 1 died in prison.
4 men and 1
woman received death sentences at the February Sessions. 1 man was reprieved
and another died in prison.
|
Date of execution |
Name |
Crime |
|
Thursday 3rd March |
George Sutton |
Highway robbery |
|
Robert Campbell |
Highway robbery |
|
|
William Wager |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Edward Baker |
Highway robbery |
|
|
David Jenkins |
Burglary |
|
|
Thomas Stafford |
Burglary |
|
|
James Ryan |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Hugh M’Mahon |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Garret Farill |
Highway robbery |
|
|
William Maw |
Murder |
|
|
Charles Orchard |
Highway robbery |
|
|
Mary Shrewsbury |
Murder of her bastard child |
The April
Sessions on the 20th of that month resulted in 5 men and 3 women being
condemned, of whom 3 men and 1 woman were executed on the 26th June.
4 men were
sentenced to die at the May Sessions on the 26th of that month. 1 was
reprieved.