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1554 | George Marsh burnt at Spital, Boughton |
1558 Sept. 8th. | A woman burnt at Boughton for poisoning her husband |
1589 |
John Taylor – Gaoler of the Castle |
1592 |
William Geaton – servant to the Bishop of Chester – his body hung on chains on Grappenhall Heath |
1601 | A woman named Candy was pressed to death at Chester Castle |
1602 | Arnet servant of Saltney Side hung |
1654 |
Sir Timothy Featherstonhaugh shot in the Corn Market of Chester by order of Parliament |
1750 | Two Irishmen executed – gibbeted at Two Mills |
1768 | Three men hung for burglary |
1776 May 4th | Execution of James Knight for murder |
1776 Sept 21st |
Christopher Lawless. Isaac Hutchinson, Alexander Solomon and Isaac Josephs executed for robbing the shop of Mr Pemberton, jeweller. They were buried behind the Rodney Cop opposite Overleigh |
1777 April 10th | S. Thorley executed for the murder of Ann Smith, a ballad singer near Congleton. He cut off her head and part of her he actually broiled and ate. He was hung in chains on the Heath |
1779 April 16th |
William Ellis for burglary William Loom for discharging a loaded pistol at Charles Warren |
1779 Oct 2nd | Sarah Jones for stealing 28 yds. of chintz |
1783 | Resolution Heap and Martha Brown for burglary |
1784 April 26th | Elizabeth Wood for poisoning |
1784 May 15th | John Oakes hung for coining |
1786 May 6th | Execution of Peter Steens |
1786 Oct 1st | Execution of Edwart Holt |
1786 Oct 7th | Execution of Thomas Hyde aged 35yrs for horse stealing |
1786 Oct 10th | Execution of James Buckley for burglary in Newgate Street |
1786 Oct 7th | Execution of Thomas Buckley aged 20 yrs |
1789 Feb 4th |
Thomas Hoate for the murder of John Parry a constable in Handbridge – on the gallows he charged his wife with infidelity (she was 70 yrs of age) |
1790 | John Dean for the murder of his wife who was 7 months pregnant |
1791 April 21st |
Execution of Lowndes for robbing the Warrington Mail. He was hung in chains at Helsby Hill |
1791 Oct 8th |
Allen, Aston and Knox for burglary. The gallows were moved to the other side of the road after |
1796 April 30th |
Thomas Brown and James Price for robbing the Warrington Mail. They were hung in chains at Trafford Green and remained there until 1820. In the skull of Price was found a robin’s nest. |
1798 | John Thornhill for the murder of his sweetheart |
1798 Oct 4th | Peter Martin for firing at a boat’s crew of the Actaeona in the Mersey employed in the impress service |
1800
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Thomas Bosworth for forgery Alexander Horton for felony |
1800 Oct 12th | Mary Lloyd for forgery |
1801 May 9th | Thompson, Morgan and Clare for burglary. |
1801 Oct 3rd |
Aaron Gee and Thomas Gibson hung out of a temporary window way on the south side of the old Northgate. They were propelled from the window about 5 feet and dropped near 40 inches
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1809 May 6th |
Execution of George Glover and William Proudlove in front of the House of Correction for shooting at an excise officer. The drop was used for the first time and the rope broke. New ropes were procured and the sentence carried out about 1 hour later |
1810 May 2nd |
John Done was executed for the murder of Betty Eckersley, a woman of bad character. He denied the offence to his last moment. |
1810 Oct 1st | Smith and Clarke for burglary. They were buried in St Martins Churchyard |
1813 |
Edith Morney for the murder of her husband. Immediately after conviction she pleaded pregnancy and a jury of matrons pronounced her quick with child. |
1813 June 26th |
William Wilkinson. James Yarwood and William Burgess for a rape on Mary Porter near Weston Point Simeon Betson. William Berson and James Renshaw for burglary. |
1814 May 28th |
William Wilson aged 70yrs for arson. The man caused a stir before and at the execution. |
1815 April 22nd | Griffith and Wood for burglary |
1817 May 10th | Joseph Allen for uttering Bank of England Notes |
1818 | Abraham Rostern and Isaac Moors for burglary |
1818 Sept 26th | John Moor for burglary |
1819 May 8th | Joseph Walker – highway robbery |
1819 Sept 25th | Samuel Hooley and Jon Johnson (a man of colour) for burglary |
1820 | Jacob McGhinnies for shooting Mr Birch |
1820 Sept 16th |
Ralph Ellis for burglary and William Ricklington for setting fire to a rectory house at Coddington
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1821 May 5th | Samuel Healey for highway robbery at Stockport |
1822 May 4th |
William Tongue for a rape on an infant George Groom for highway robbery |
1822 Sept 14th | Thomas Brierley for highway robbery |
1823 April 14th | Samuel Fallows for the murder of his sweetheart |
1823 May 20th | John Kragan for a rape on an infant |
1823 Sept 13th | Edward Clarke for highway robbery |
1824 April 21st | Joseph Dale for murder |
1826 April 26th |
Philip McGowan for robbery and Abraham Stones for robbing Mr Marsden. A gentleman of upwards of 70yrs of age near Cow Lane Bridge. On this occasion the apparatus for execution was removed from the east to the west of the city gaol |
1826 Aug 26th | John Green for burglary |
1829 May 9th | John
Proudlove for highway robbery John Levi for burglary |
1829 Sept 26th |
Joseph Woodhouse for a rape on his own daughter Joseph Henshall for firing at gamekeepers |
1832 | Samuel Cumberledge for arson |
1834 | Samuel Thorley for murder |
John Carr for felonious shooting | |
James Mason for attempting to procure a miscarriage | |
1841 | Bartholemew Mourray for murder |
1843 | James Ratcliffe for murdering his wife |
1844 | Mary Gallop for poisoning her father at Crewe |
1848 | William Bates for murder |
1856 Dec 26th | William Jackson for the murder of his two children in Handbridge, Chester |
1857 | John Blagg |
1861 | Martin Doyle |
1862 | Alice Hewitt |
1866 April 23rd | Samuel Griffiths |
The Northgate Gaol taken down in 1808. The City Gaol erected in 1807. Over the West Entrance the County and City prisoners were publicly executed. It ceased to be a gaol in 1871 and prisoners moved to the County Gaol at the Castle. | |
Notice By Order of the Visiting Magistrates – 10th April 1805 We the publicans permitted to serve the prisoners within the Castle of Chester with “ale” etc do hereby publicly declare, that from the date hereof. We will exonerate every prisoner, on his discharge, from all debts whatever we may have permitted him to contract with us, either for ale, porter or wine. Witness our hands Signed Rob Oldham Rob Goff |
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In 1877 the Government took over all the local prisons numbering 113 and closed 38 of them at once. The County (Chester) Gaol continued to be used for prisoners and Mr J B Manning remained in charge until 1884 when it was closed as a County Prison and the prisoners removed to H M Prison at Knutsford. A small part of the prison was used as a military prison under the charge of Mr J Martin. Military prisoners were afterwards moved to Stafford. | |
The following is a list of condemned prisoners whose names appear on Chester Castle Tombstones in the possession of Mr W G Parker. The executions are listed previously but this gives additional details. | |
1843 Sept 2nd | James Ratcliffe for the murder of his wife at Stockport on the previous 22nd June. - R Huxley Sheriff |
1844 |
Mary Gallop for poisoning her father, Richard Gallop, at Crewe – Edward Tilston, Sheriff |
1848 April 22nd |
William Bates for the murder of William ……………. At Arlington - John Green (?) Sheriff The first execution at Chester at 8.0.a.m. |
1856 Dec 20th |
William Jackson native of Handbridge for the murder of his two children, Mary Jane aged 7 and John aged 6, by cutting their throats and afterwards burying their bodies in a pit in Richard Roger’s orchard. Old Wrexham Road. – J Jones, Sheriff |
1857 Aug 20th |
John Blagg for the murder of John Bebbington a gamekeeper to W Corbett of Tilston Lodge – J Jones, Sheriff |
1861 Aug 27th |
Martin Doyle for cutting and wounding (with intent to kill) Jane Brogine at Holmes Chapel – James Rowe, Sheriff |
1863 Dec 28th |
Alice Hewitt for the murder of her mother, Mary Bailey, at Stockport – Robert Little, Sheriff |
1866 April 23rd |
Samuel Griffiths for the murder of Isaac Newport at Dunham – C Dutton, Sheriff The first malefactor to be buried in the City Gaol |
1867
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What had become an odious duty to the City and its Officials was this year transferred by Act of Parliament to the Sheriff of the County
JG Lady Day 1906 |