Assizes were held in both Lent and Summer for both Yorkshire and the County of the City of York. Additionally Assizes were held from time to time for the County of the Town of Kinston-upon-Hull.
A Special Commission of Gaol Delivery was held at York following the Jacobite Rising in 1745, with the Grand Jury meeting for the first time on 20th August and the actual trials beginning on Thursday, 2nd October.
703 death sentences led to 217 executions. York executions were carried out at Knavesmire, on what is now York race course.
| Assize date | Name | Crime | Execution date | |
| 1735 – No executions. | ||||
| 1736 – 3 executions. | ||||
| M 29 March | Thomas Cooper | Horse theft | S 17 April | |
| “ | William Randall | Highway robbery | S 17 April | |
| “ | John Midge | Highway robbery | S 17 April | |
| 1737 – 2 executions. | ||||
| M 7 March | Richard Coulter | Arson | S 26 March | |
| M 25 July | John Smith | Highway robbery | S 13 August | |
| 1738 – 2 executions. | ||||
| M 13 March | Joseph Thompson | Horse theft | S 1 April | |
| “ | John Frederick Edon | Grand Larceny | S 1 April | |
| 1739 – 2 executions. | ||||
| M 19 March | Richard Turpin | Horse theft | S 7 April | |
| “ | John Stead (38) | Horse theft | S 7 April | |
| 1740 – 3 executions. | ||||
| M 10 March | William Spinks (26) | Horse theft | S 29 March | |
| M 21 July | George Leyburne | Burglary | S 9 August | |
| “ | William Forster | Burglary | S 9 August | |
| 1741 – 5 executions. | ||||
| M 9 March | John Wright | Murder of Upkin Sterling (f) | S 11 April | |
| “ | James Tyson | Burglary | S 11 April | |
| “ | John Barber | Burglary | S 11 April | |
| “ | George Bainton | Forgery | S 11 April | |
| M 13 July | Joseph Berton | Highway robbery | S 22 August | |
| 1742 – 2 executions. | ||||
| M 2 August | William Bedford | Cattle theft | S 4 September | |
| “ | Thomas Bilton | Horse theft | Ex | |
| 1743 – 1 execution. | ||||
| M 7 March | Mark Nottingham | Highway robbery | S 26 March | |
| 1744 & 1745 – No confirmed executions. | ||||
| 1746 – 23 executions. | ||||
| M 10 March | William Hall | Horse theft | S 29 March | |
| October | George Hamilton | High treason | S 1 November | |
| Special | Edward Clavering | High treason | S 1 November | |
| Commission | Daniel Frazer | High treason | S 1 November | |
| “ | Charles Gordon | High treason | S 1 November | |
| “ | Benjamin Mason | High treason | S 1 November | |
| “ | James Mayne | High treason | S 1 November | |
| “ | William Conolly | High treason | S 1 November | |
| “ | William Dempsey | High treason | S 1 November | |
| “ | Angus MacDonald | High treason | S 1 November | |
| “ | James Sparks | High treason | S 1 November | |
| “ | David Row | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | William Hunter | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | John Endsworth | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | John Maclean | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | John Macgregor | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | Smith Mackenzie | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | Alexander Parker | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | Thomas MacGinnis | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | Archibald Kennedy | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | James Thompson | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | Michael Brady | High treason | S 8 November | |
| “ | James Reid | High treason | S 13 November | |
| All above were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered which was the mandatory | ||||
| sentence for High Treason. However it would appear that the disembowling and quartering | ||||
| were remitted and just the heads cut off. | ||||
| 1747 – No confirmed executions. | ||||
| 1748 – 2 unconfirmed executions. | ||||
| M 7 March | Edward Equall | Highway robbery | Eo W 23 March | |
| “ | William Bingley | Burglary | Eo W 23 March | |
| 1749 – 3 executions. | ||||
| M 6 March | Josiah Fearn | Murder of Thomas Grave | S 25 March | |
| “ | Robert Fawthorp | Murder of Elizabeth Farrand | S 25 March | |
| “ | Thomas Brown | Horse theft | S 25 March | |
| 1750 – 3 executions. | ||||
| M 12 March | John Tiplady | Horse theft | S 31 March | |
| “ | Abraham Stott | Sheep theft | S 31 March | |
| “ | Joseph Garbutt | Sheep theft | S 31 March | |
| 1751 – 2 executions. | ||||
| M 11 March | Thomas Moor | Horse theft | S 30 March | |
| M 22 July | William Donkan | House breaking | S 10 August | |
| 1752 – 2 executions. | ||||
| Tu. 17 March | Robert Loveday | Burglary | S 11 April | |
| “ | Benjamin Fearney | Grand larceny | S 11 April | |
| 1753 – 6 executions. | ||||
| M 19 March | David Harkness | Horse theft | S 7 April | |
| “ | Bezaleel Knowles | Murder of Dorothy Gibson | S 28 April | |
| “ | Edward Watts (Wells) | Forgery | S 28 April | |
| M 6 August | William Smith | Murder of Harper family | W 15 August | |
| “ | Thomas Downand | Sheep theft | S 25 August | |
| “ | Thomas Wentworth | Stole in dwelling house | S 25 August | |
| 1754 – 2 executions. | ||||
| Th. 21 March | Joseph Rydale | Murder of Richard Marsden | F 29 March | |
| Francis Jefferson | House breaking | S 20 April | ||
| 1755 – No executions. | ||||
| 1756 – 6 executions. | ||||
| Tu. 23 March | George Trotter | Murder of Hannah Wilson | S 29 March | |
| “ | Abijah Oakes | Burglary | S 10 April | |
| “ | David Evans | Highway robbery | S 10 April | |
| S 7 August | Richard Varley | Burglary | S 28 August | |
| “ | Richard Holsworth | Burglary | S 28 August | |
| 1757 – 3 executions. | ||||
| M 21 March | Mary Ellah | P/T murder husband Thomas | M 28 March | |
| Burnt at the stake | ||||
| “ | Benjamin Holt | Horse theft | S 9 April | |
| S 23 July | Stephen Tudear | Murder of Ellen Applegarth | S 30 July | |
| 1758 – 2 executions. | ||||
| M 13 March | George Berry | Highway robbery | M 1 May | |
| “ | Robert Cole | High treason | M 1 May | |
| 1759 – 5 executions. | ||||
| S 3 March | Henry Nelson | Felony | S 24 March | |
| “ | Benjamin Windle | Burglary | S 24 March | |
| ??/??/August | Eugene Aram | Murder of Daniel Clark | M 6 August | |
| “ | William Cockburn | Burglary | S 18 August | |
| “ | John Cockburn | Burglary | S 18 August | |
| 1760 – 1 execution. | ||||
| M 3 March | Edward Smith | Murder of Samuel Lund | Th. 6 March | |
| 1761 – 1 execution. | ||||
| S 11 July | Robert King | Cattle theft | S 1 August | |
| 1762 – 1 execution. | ||||
| S 6 March | George Harger | Murder John Moore | Th. 18 March | |
| 1763 – 2 executions. | ||||
| S 5 March | William Bell | Murder William Wright | M 14 March | |
| S 16 July | John Hall | Horse theft | S 30 July | |
| 1764 – 2 executions. | ||||
| S 10 March | Charles S Dorrington | Highway robbery | S 31 March | |
| S 4 August | Abraham Clayton | Murder of wife, Elizabeth | S 11 August | |
| 1765 – 3 executions. | ||||
| S 16 March | William Carr | Highway robbery | S 20 April | |
| “ | Thomas Smith | Stole in warehouse | Tu. 14 May | |
| “ | John Slack | Horse theft | Tu. 14 May | |
| 1766 – 2 executions. | ||||
| W 19 March | Thomas Taylor | Stole in dwelling house | S 5 April | |
| “ | Abel Hobson | Stole in dwelling house | S 5 April | |
| 1767 – 5 executions. | ||||
| M 30 March | Richard Clark | Housebreaking | S 18 April | |
| “ | Matthew Young | Highway robbery | S 18 April | |
| S 1 August | Ann Sowerby | P/T murder husband, Timothy | M 10 August | |
| Burnt at the stake | ||||
| “ | Thomas Boys | Highway robbery | S 17 October | |
| “ | Richard Boys | S 17 October | ||
| 1768 – 3 executions. | ||||
| W 2 March | Leonard Howson | Stole in dwelling house | S 19 March | |
| S 16 July | Thomas Lee | Murder of Richard Petty | M 25 July | |
| “ | Joseph Stell (Hall) | H/T coining | S 6 August | |
| 1769 – 1 execution. | ||||
| S 25 March | Valentine Bailey | Murder John Smith | M 6 April | |
| 1770 – 3 executions. | ||||
| S 24 March | James Oldfield | H/T coining | S 28 April | |
| “ | David Hartley | H/T coining | S 28 April | |
| S 4 August | Michael Naylor | Murder of William Lund | M 1 October | |
| 1771 – 2 executions. | ||||
| S 9 March | Luke Atkinson | Murder of William Smith | M 18 March | |
| “ | John Wright | Burglary | S 30 March | |
| 1772 – 2 executions. | ||||
| S 14 March | John Lazenby | Murder of William Moor | S 21 March | |
| “ | Thomas Lawrence | Highway robbery | S 4 April | |
| 1773 – 3 executions. | ||||
| S 6 March | John Early | Murder of Thomas Ossling | M 15 March | |
| “ | William Fisher | Burglary | S 3 April | |
| “ | John Horner | H/T coining | S 3 April | |
| 1774 – 3 executions. | ||||
| S 5 March | George Belt | Burglary | S 2 April | |
| S 16 July | John Scott | Murder of Hannah Stocks | M 25 July | |
| “ | Robert Thomas | Highway robbery | S 6 August | |
| 1775 – 5 executions. | ||||
| March | William Bean | Highway robbery | S 15 April | |
| “ | John Vicars | Highway robbery | S 15 April | |
| “ | Matthew Normington | Highway robbery | S 15 April | |
| S 29 July | George Bulmer | Murder wife | M 7 August | |
| “ | John Williamson | Highway robbery | S 19 August | |
| 1776 – 4 executions. | ||||
| S 9 March | Elizabeth Boardingham | P/T murder husband John | W 20 March | |
| Burnt at the stake | ||||
| “ | Thomas Aikney | Murder of John Boardingham | W 20 March | |
| “ | Robert Iredale | H/T possess coining imps. | S 6 April | |
| “ | William Allison | Stole letter | S 6 April | |
| 1777 – No executions. | ||||
| 1778 – 1 execution. | ||||
| F 31 July @ Hull | John Rogerson | H/T coining | W 19 August | |
| 1779 – 1 execution. | ||||
| S 17 July | Thomas England | Horse theft | S 14 August | |
| 1780 – No executions. | ||||
| 1781 – 2 executions. | ||||
| S 10 March | Joseph Linwood | Highway robbery | S 7 April | |
| “ | William Meyer | Murder of Joseph Spark | F 6 April | |
| 1782 – 1 execution. | ||||
| S 13 July | Francis Fearn | Murder of Nathan Andrews | Tu. 23 July | |
| Hanged in chains on Loxley Common | ||||
| 1783 – 6 executions. | ||||
| S 8 March | Charles Caldwell | Forgery | W 30 April | |
| S 2 August | Thomas Spencer | Highway robbery | S 16 August | |
| “ | Mark Saltonstall | Highway robbery | S 16 August | |
| “ | William Emmerson | Cattle theft | S 23 August | |
| “ | William Field | Burglary | S 23 August | |
| “ | John Riley | Burglary | S 23 August | |
| 1784 – 4 executions. | ||||
| S 6 March | Lydia Dickenson | Murder her bastard, Martha | M 22 March | |
| “ | John Stewart | Burglary | M 29 March | |
| M 24 July | Thomas Knapton | Murder of Hannah Wood | Tu. 3 August | |
| “ | William Spurling | Sheep theft | S 21 August | |
| 1785 – 6 executions. | ||||
| S 5 March | William Rilet | Highway robbery | S 2 April | |
| “ | Joseph Clough | House breaking | S 2 April | |
| S 9 July | Robert Smithson | Sheep theft | S 6 August | |
| “ | Charles Spencer | Horse theft | S 6 August | |
| “ | Matthew Mason | Sacrilege | S 6 August | |
| “ | John Beck | Highway robbery | S 27 August | |
| 1786 – 8 executions. | ||||
| S 11 March | Joseph Hartley | Highway robbery | S 8 April | |
| “ | Robert Watson jr | Highway robbery | S 8 April | |
| “ | James Proctor | Forgery | S 29 April | |
| S 29 July | William Shop | Burglary | S 19 August | |
| “ | William Bamforth | Burglary | S 19 August | |
| “ | John Charlesworth | Highway robbery | S 19 August | |
| “ | William Nicholson | Horse theft | S 19 August | |
| “ | James Braithwaite | Stole in dwelling house | S 19 August | |
| 1787 – 5 executions. | ||||
| S 10 March | Daniel Gouldthorpe | Stole off tenters | S 7 April | |
| “ | William Bryan | Burglary | S 7 April | |
| “ | John Thompson | Oxen theft | S 7 April | |
| “ | Timothy Obrian | Horse theft | S 7 April | |
| “ | Thomas West | Horse theft | S 7 April | |
| 1788 – 7 executions. | ||||
| S 8 March | David Lord | Burglary | S 5 April | |
| “ | Thomas Greenwood | Burglary | S 5 April | |
| “ | Catherine Savage | Burglary | S 5 April | |
| “ | James Ashroth | Sheep theft | S 5 April | |
| “ | John Eastwood | Sheep theft | S 5 April | |
| “ | Joseph Pulleyn | Highway robbery | S 5 April | |
| “ | Elijah Pulleyn | Highway robbery | S 5 April | |
| 1789 – 3 executions. | ||||
| S 14 March | George Lockey | Murder of Christopher Barker | M 23 March | |
| “ | Robert Wilkinson | Highway robbery | S 11 April | |
| S 25 July | Hannah Whitley | Murder of Joseph Rhodes | M 3 August | |
| 1790 – 11 executions. | ||||
| Tu. 23 March | Thomas Lastley | Highway robbery | S 17 April | |
| “ | John Stephens | Highway robbery | S 17 April | |
| “ | Edward Williams | highway robbery | S 17 April | |
| “ | James Hartley | Burglary | S 17 April | |
| “ | John Gills | Horse theft | S 17 April | |
| “ | George Moore | Burglary | S 17 April | |
| S 17 July | William Howson | Horse theft | S 14 August | |
| “ | Robert Crammam | Horse theft | S 14 August | |
| “ | James Ferguson | Horse theft | S 14 August | |
| “ | Henry Bell | Horse theft | S 14 August | |
| “ | John Brigg | Sheep theft | S 14 August | |
| 1791 – 4 executions. | ||||
| S 5 March | James Gould | House breaking | S 9 April | |
| S 6 August | John Bennett | Arson | S 3 September | |
| “ | Robert Minter | Arson | S 3 September | |
| “ | Abraham Robertshaw | Forgery | S 3 September | |
| 1792 – 6 executions. | ||||
| M 19 March | Elizabeth Elliott | Murder of Mary Walker | M 26 March | |
| “ | Spence Broughton | Highway robbery | S 14 April | |
| “ | John Lucas | Burglary | S 14 April | |
| “ | Thomas Stearman | Burglary | S 14 April | |
| “ | Joseph Brearley | Burglary | S 14 April | |
| “ | Thomas Crawshaw | Stole in dwelling house | S 14 April | |
| 1793 – 4 executions. | ||||
| M 18 March | William Atkinson | Riot | S 13 April | |
| “ | Richard Watson | Grand larceny | S 13 April | |
| “ | Thomas Jewitt | Cattle theft | S 13 April | |
| S 13 July | John Hoyland (77) | Bestiality | S 10 August | |
| 1794 – 3 executions. | ||||
| S 15 March | William Waddington | H/T colouring coin | S 12 April | |
| S 2 August | Ann Scalberd | Murder of Mary Scalberd | Tu. 12 August | |
| “ | Thomas Kirk | Rape | S 30 August | |
| 1795 – 6 executions. | ||||
| Tu. 24 March | Charles Elliott | Murder of John Mead | M 30 March | |
| “ | Thomas Mann | Burglary | S 25 April | |
| “ | William Britain | Burglary | S 25 April | |
| “ | William Branham | Burglary | S 25 April | |
| “ | George Fawcett snr. | Sheep theft | S 25 April | |
| “ | William Jackson | Sheep theft | S 25 April | |
| 1796 – 4 executions. | ||||
| S 5 March | Thomas Maclean | Highway robbery | S 2 April | |
| “ | James Sutcliffe | Highway robbery | S 2 April | |
| “ | Thomas Birch | Burglary | S 2 April | |
| S 9 July | James Beaumont | Murder of Sarah Turton | M 18 July | |
| 1797 – 2 executions. | ||||
| S 11 March | Owen Pendergrass | Highway robbery | S 8 April | |
| S 29 July | Robert Dyson | Stole letter | W 30 August | |
| 1798 – 4 executions. | ||||
| S 10 March | Peter Buck | Highway robbery | S 7 April | |
| “ | Robert Hollingworth | Highway robbery | S 7 April | |
| “ | George Ledger | Highway robbery | S 7 April | |
| S 21 July | William Larkin | Forgery | S 18 August | |
| 1799 – 1 execution. | ||||
| S 6 July | Richard Clegg | Murder of John Morson | M 15 July | |
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.