Executions in Southamptonshire (Hampshire) 1735-1799

708 death sentences led to at least 159 executions, plus another 17 probable ones. Executions were normally carried out at Gallows Hill, Winchester. Occassionally, there was an Assize for the County of the Town of Southampton. 6 death sentences were passed here, of which 3 were carried out.

Assize dateNameCrimeExecution date
1735 – 2 executions
W 5 March   William Stormes          Horse theft           S  22 March
W 16 July   Edward Painter         Horse theft           c S 2  August
1736 – 2 executions
W 3 March   William Cleverley        Murder of Jane MansbridgeS  13 March 
“William Smith            Horse theft             ??/ July
1737 – 2 executions
W 2 March   Michael Morey           Murder of James Dew    S  19 March
Hanged in chains near the murder place on the Isle of Wight
Tu. 19 July  William Smith            Highway robbery               S  30 July 
1738 – 5 executions
Tu. 28 February   John Boyd             Highway robbery               S  18 March
“James Warwick         Horse theft               S  18 March
“Mary Groke (16)     P/T murder her mistress, Justin TurnerS  18 March
Burned at the stake
Tu. 11 July   Thomas Baker            Highway robbery               c S  29 July 
“Daniel Hooker          Housebreaking               c S  29 July 
1739 – 2 executions
Tu. 6 March  Sarah Farmer        Murder of her female bastard    ??/ March
“John Edwards          Housebreaking                  ??/ March
1740 – No confirmed executions, but 2 probable
Tu. 4 March   John Brooks           Housebreaking                 ?
“John Brown            Highway robbery               ?
1741 – No confirmed executions, but 2 probable
Tu. 3 March   Thomas Warne            Forgery            ?
Tu. 7 July   Moses Jacob         Housebreaking                 ?
1742 – No executions
1743 – 1 confirmed execution plus 5 probable where no reprieves have been found
Tu. 1 March   Domingo Goodheart   Murder of John Hollingshead W 16 March
Hanged in chains near the spot where the murder was committed
Tu. 1 March   William May              Rape               Unknown
“George Ripper          Horse theft              Unknown
“Richard Loaten    Highway robbery               Unknown
“William Moore   Highway robbery               Unknown
Tu. 12 July   Edward Seagrave        Murder of Mary Azeland    Unknown
1744 – No confirmed executions, but  5 probable where no reprieve has been found
Tu. 28 February   John Slayden          Murder his wife, Mary      Unknown
“William Coney            Burglary           Unknown
“Robert Say            Highway robbery               Unknown
“Rd Hamilton         Highway robbery               Unknown
“Samuel George          At large           Unknown
1745 – No executions
1746 – 1 execution
Tu. 4 March   Stephen Potgeiter        Murder of Owen Sullivan  Tu. 15 April
1747 – 2 executions
Tu. 24 March  Samuel Cox             Highway robbery               Unknown
“Charles Cox              Highway robbery               Unknown
1748 – 1 probable execution
Tu. 26 July   William Blake            Burglary           Unknown
1749 – 4 executions
Tu. 28 February   Robert Faircloth      Murder of Richard Dunn          S  18 March
Tu. 4 July   William Cop              Highway robbery               Unknown
“Joseph Rawlins         Burglary            Unknown
“Henry Borrow           Damaging fishpondUnknown
1750 – 2 executions
Tu. 6 March   Edward Coggin          Burglary           Th.  14 June 
“William Kemp             Murder of William May     or S  16 June 
1751 – 1 execution
Tu. 5 March   John Kempsall         Horse theft               Unknown
1752 – 4 executions
Tu. 14 July   John Billington   Highway robbery               S  29 August 
“John Russellwood Highway robbery               S  29 August 
“Walter Robbins    Highway robbery               Unknown
“John Marsh        Highway robbery               Unknown
1753 No executions
1754 – 2 executions
Tu. 23 July   Thomas Fancy            Horse theft               Unknown
“Walter Piper          Murder of John Pinchbeck    M  29 July
1755 – 1 execution
Tu. 4.March   Mary Russell       Murder of Philip Lander     M  10 March
1756 – 2 executions
Tu. 9 MarchAmbrose BatchelorSheep theftS  3 April 
Tu. 27 July   Richard Mason            Murder of William Mason     M 13 September
1757 – 2 executions
M 18 July   Alexander Cartwright     Highway robbery               Unknown
“Mary Williams        Stole in dwelling house            Unknown
1758 – 4 executions
Tu. 28 February   Jacob Rogers  Highway robbery               c S  20 March 
“Thomas Lee          Highway robbery               c S  20 March 
Tu. 11 July   Richard Roper     Housebreaking                  c S  29 July 
“Nicholas Bulger Housebreaking                  c S  29 July 
1759 – 8 executions
Tu. 13 March   James Gray            Horse theft               S  31 March
“Hannah Thomas       Housebreaking                  S  31 March
“Terence Sweeny  Highway robbery               S  31 March
“James Curry       Highway robbery               S  31 March
“Henry Pickernell       Stole in dwelling house            S  31 March
“Richard Adams            Murder of John Ennis    M 19 March
“Robert Sign           Sheep theft               S  31 March
Tu. 24 JulyJohn Lovelock         Housebreaking                  Unknown
1760 – 1 execution
S 19 JulyJohn Marchant         Murder  of his wife, Elizabeth  M  21 July  
Southampton Town execution
1761 – 8 executions
Tu. 3 March   Joseph Saunders        Murder of his nephew, Moses    W  18 March
“Michael M’Cormick       Highway robbery               M   23 March
“Thomas Stone    Highway robbery               M   23 March
“James Watson      Highway robbery               M   23 March
M 29 June   James Daniel          Housebreaking                  S  11 July
“George Masters         Horse theft               S  11 July
“Joseph Gillam          Housebreaking                  S  11 July
“Francis Arsine           Murder of Peter Varley    S   4 July
Hanged in chains at Blockhouse Point
1762 – 3 executions plus 1 unconfirmed – French respited until Feb. 1763
Tu. 20 July   David Burke       Highway robbery               Unknown
“Edward Caffrey   Highway robbery               Unknown
“Patrick King        Highway robbery               Unknown
“John French         Murder     Unknown
1763 – 5 executions
Tu. 1 March   Daniel Shean           Highway robbery               Spring 1763
Tu. 12 July   Francis Kenny            Highway robbery               Spring 1763
“Thomas Callahan         Highway robbery               Summer 1763
“Francis M’Ardell         Highway robbery               Summer 1763
“John Hurdle           Murder of his wife, Martha       M  18 July
1764 – 2 executions
Tu. 6 March   James Mooney          Highway robbery               S  24 March
“Roger Tuttle        Burglary            S  24 March
1765 – 1 execution
Tu. 16 July   John Hellier            Highway robbery               S  10 August
1766 – 5 executions
Tu. 4 March   Thomas Arlot            Horse theft               S  29 March
“George Day             Horse theft               S  29 March
“Charles Connor  Highway robbery               S  29 March
“John Pendergross  Highway robbery               S  29 March
F 11 July S’ton Daniel Moreto          Forgery             M   9 August
Southampton Town execution
1767 – No executions
1768 – 1 execution
S 16 July   James Williams        Murder of Samuel Lewis     Th.  28 July 
Hanged at Southsea Beach, Portsmouth, afterwards in chains on same gallows
1769 – No executions
1770 – 1 execution
Tu. 27 March   James Cosgrove        Highway robbery               W  18 April
1771 – 1 execution
Tu. 5 March   John Drake            Murder of William Blackmore    M  11 March
1772 – 1 execution
Tu. 3 March   Martin Stanley      Highway robbery               W  25 March 
1773 – 1 execution
M 1 March   Robert ArlettHighway robbery               S  20 March
1774 – No executions
1775 – 2 executions
Tu. 14 March   James FitzgeraldBurglary            S   1 April
“Joseph Bayles    Burglary            S   1 April
1776 – 1 execution
Tu. 5 March   Richard Whatley          SodomyS  23 March
1777 – 2 executions
Tu. 4 March   James Hill            Arson in dockyard           M  10 March
Hanged at Portsmouth Dock, afterwards in chains at Blackhouse Point 
“Richard Carter           Arson              S  22 March
1778 – 4 executions
Tu. 3 March   John Desmont &Murder of Thomas Holland   M   9 March
“Joseph Maseley   Murder of Thomas Holland   M   9 March
Hanged in the parish of Exton near murder site
Maseley hanged in chains there, Desmont anatomised
Tu. 28 July   Thomas Boulter Highway robbery               W  19 August
“James Caldwell    Highway robbery               W  19 August
1779 – No executions
1780 – 5 executions
Tu. 29 February   Thomas Mason            Shot atS  18 March
“Jacob Levi Burglary            S  18 March
“Samuel MyersBurglary            S  18 March
“Francis ElliottHousebreaking                  S  18 March
“Thomas Williams Housebreaking                  S  18 March
1781 – 2 executions
Tu. 6 March   Edward Paul            Highway Robbery                  S  24 March
Tu. 24 July   John Bryan            Murder of William Wisdom    M 30 July
“Hanged in chains at Blockhouse Point, near the gibbet of John the Painter
1782 – 1 execution.Tried by Special Commission
David Tyrie         High Treason                  S  24 August
Hanged drawn & quartered at Portsmouth
1783 – 10 executions
M 3 March   Thomas Godfrey          Murder of John Barrett  M  10 March
“John Taylor           Murder of James Stores  M  10 March
“John Tafferson Highway robbery               S  22 March
“Theophilus Crimsey  Highway robbery               S  22 March
“James Denison     Highway robbery               S  22 March
Tu. 29 July   John Marshall         Murder wife, Mary         M   4 August
“James Murray      Highway robbery               S  16 August
“John Cormolly     Highway robbery               S  16 August
“John Champ            Horse theft               S  16 August
“John Jenkins          Burglary            S  16 August
1784 – 2 executions
Tu. 2 March   John Quin &     Murder of Cornelius BaileyM   8 March
“Mary Bailey     P/T murder husband, Cornelius M   8 March
Burned at the stake
1785 – 11 executions
Tu. 1 March   John Muddle           Burglary            S  19 March
“Nathaniel Wilmer         Highway robbery               S  19 March
“Richard Adams   Highway robbery               S  19 March
“Robert Stratton   Burglary            S  19 March
“William Perry    Burglary            S  19 March
“Robert Carpenter      Forgery             S   2 April
Tu. 5 July   Samuel Keefe           Highway robbery               S  23 July
“Bryan M’Donald      Highway robbery               S  23 July
“Moses Powell        Burglary            S  23 July
“Charles Dillon     Highway robbery               S  23 July
S’ton  S 9 JulyWilliam ShawyerBurglaryW 27 July
Southampton town execution  
1786 – 4 executions
Tu. 7 March   Richard Forder           Sheep theft               S  25 March
Tu. 25 July   John Hastings         Murder of James (or Robert) Warnock M  31 July
Hanged in chains at Hardway, near Gosport
“Robert Brown    Highway robbery               S  12 August
“William Earls       Highway robbery               S  12 August
1787 – No executions
1788 – 2 executions
Tu. 4 March   Charles Sainsbury        Housebreaking                  S  22 March
“William White            Horse theft               S  22 March
1789 – 3 executions
Th. 5 March  John Bridger          Cutting & maiming horse           S  21 March
“William Dungan           Housebreaking                  S  21 March
Tu. 21 July   William Earl             Rape of Sarah SpicerTh.  6 August  ??
1790 – 2 executions, plus 1 unconfirmed (Forder)
W 14 July   Luke Stanley    Horse theft               S  31 July
“John Patrick      Horse theft               S  31 July
“John Forder           Sheep theft               Tu. 10 August  ??
1791 – 2 executions
W 2 March   William Weeks            Stole in dwelling house            F   1 April
“Samuel Leath           Forgery             S  19 March
1792 – 2 executions
Tu. 6 March   John Shaw             Forgery             S  24 March
“John Charles          Murder  wife, Mary       S  10 March
1793 – No executions
1794 – 8 executions
Tu. 4 March   George Bentham        Murder of William Barnes  M  10 March
“Edward Powell          Murder of William Barnes  M  10 March
“Charles Talmage          Burglary                  S  22 March
“Thomas Noble            Extortion              S  29 March
Tu. 29 JulyFrancis Jennison     Murder of John Groundwater M   4 August
“William Butterworth  Murder of John Groundwater M   4 August
Both hanged at Portsea
“Patrick Quin        Burglary            S  16 August
“Patrick Coine       Burglary            S  16 August
Both hanged near Northwood, Isle of Wight, afterwards in chains there
1795 – No executions
1796 – 8 executions
Tu. 1 March   William McCarter         Murder of John Smith     M   7 March
“Summo       Murder of Meramo (fellow P.o.W.) M   7 March
“Raban        “M   7 March
“Ravon       “M   7 March
“Sarax    “M   7 March
“John Price      Highway robbery                  S  19 March
“William Dight      Highway robbery                  S  19 March
W 6 July   Valerie Coffre      Murder of Nicholas Chartier            M  11 July
Hanged at Porchester Castle
1797 – 8 executions
Tu. 7 March   Gaspard Keep    Rape of Elizabeth Lock      S  25 March
“Nicholas Wagner Rape of Elizabeth Lock      S  25 March
“William Smith           Housebreaking                  S  25 March
Tu. 25 July   George Barnes          Horse theft               S  12 August
“John Murphy           Highway robbery                  S  12 August
“Richard KnowlesStole in dwelling house                 S  12 August
“Edward FarrellHighway robbery                  S  12 August
“Edward Roach           Highway robbery                  S  12 August
1798 – 3 executions
W 18 July   George Prince          Murder of Mary Moody M  23 July
Hanged in chains at Bramshaw
“John Hughes           At large            S   4 August
“Joseph Carter          Housebreaking                  S   4 August
1799 – 3 executions
Tu. 5 March   James Pullen          Uttering              S  23 March
“John Matson           Forgery             S  23 March
“William Baker            Burglary            S  23 March


Support the Archive

If you have found this article useful and would like to help preserve and maintain this historical archive, please consider supporting the site.