Those executed in New Zealand
Between Maketu’s execution in 1842 and Walter Bolton in 1957, there were a further 83 executions. The year 1866 was the busiest, with 10 executions in total. Only one woman has been hanged in New Zealand and that was Williamina (Minnie) Dean – the so-called Winton Baby Farmer – who was executed at Invercargill in August 1895. Executions were carried out in 10 different centres. In total, 41 people were executed in Auckland, 17 in Wellington and 7 in Lyttelton.
Person executed, (place of execution) and date of execution
- Wiremu Kingi Maketu (Auckland) 7 March 1842
- Joseph Burns (Auckland) 17 June 1848
- Maroro (Wellington) 19 April 1849
- William Good (Wellington) 17 June 1850
- William Bowden (Auckland) 27 April 1852
- Charles Marsden (Auckland) 12 February 1856
- John White (Auckland) 11 July 1856
- John Killey (Auckland) 18 March 1858
- James Collins (Wellington) 30 January 1862
- Taherei (Picton) 10 July 1863
- Richard Harper (Auckland) 22 September 1863
- Ruarangi (Auckland) 18 April 1864
- Nikotema Okoroa (Auckland) 18 April 1864
- Alexander McLean (Auckland) 21 October 1864
- William Andrew Jarvey (Dunedin) 24 October 1865
- John Jones (Dunedin) 6 April 1866
- James Stack (Auckland) 7 April 1866
- Mokomoko (Auckland) 17 May 1866
- Heremita Kahupaea (Auckland) 17 May 1866
- Hakaraia Te Rahui (Auckland) 17 May 1866
- Horomona Propiti (Auckland) 17 May 1866
- Mikaere Kirimangu (Auckland) 17 May 1866
- Richard Burgess (Nelson) 5 October 1866
- Thomas Kelly (Nelson) 5 October 1866
- Philip Levy (Nelson) 5 October 1866
- Robert Wilson (Nelson) 20 December 1867
- John Densley Swales (Lyttelton) 16 April 1868
- Whakamau (Wellington) 23 March 1869
- Hamiora Peri (Wellington) 16 November 1869
- Anthony Noble (Hokitika) 16 February 1871
- Simon Cedeno (Lyttelton) 5 April 1871
- Kereopa (Napier) 5 January 1872
- Joseph Eppwright (Auckland) 29 July 1873
- Charles Dyer (Auckland) 30 October 1874
- Nutana (Auckland) 19 February 1875
- John Robinson Mercer (Lyttelton) 7 May 1875
- William Henry Woodgate (Picton) 25 January 1877
- Martin Curtain (Auckland) 6 February 1877
- Te Mohi (Auckland) 23 May 1877
- James Walsh (Invercargill) 19 February 1879
- Ah Lee (Dunedin) 5 November 1880
- Tuhiata (Wellington) 29 December 1880
- Wiremu Hiroki (New Plymouth) 8 June 1882
- Taurangaka Winiata (Auckland) 4 August 1882
- John Donohue (Hokitika) 11 June 1884
- Rowland Herbert Edwards (Napier) 15 July 1884
- John Caffrey (Auckland) 21 February 1887
- Henry Albert Penn (Auckland) 21 February 1887
- Haira Te Piri (Napier) 13 May 1889
- Makoare Wata (Napier) 28 September 1889
- Alexander James Scott (Auckland) 22 May 1893
- Williamina Dean (Invercargill) 12 August 1895
- Stephen Bosher (Wellington) 21 April 1897
- William Sheehan (Lyttelton) 21 July 1897
- Frank Philpott (Wellington) 23 March 1898
- Charles Clements (Dunedin) 12 April 1898
- Enoka (New Plymouth) 2 May 1898
- Alexander McLean (Lyttelton) 31 August 1901
- James Ellis (Wellington) 28 February 1905
- Tahi Kaka (Auckland) 21 June 1911
- Alfred Mortram Biddle (Lyttelton) 13 December 1913
- Arthur Rottman (Wellington) 18 March 1915
- Frank Edward Bennier (Wellington) 19 January 1918
- Frederick William Eggers (Lyttelton) 5 March 1918
- Dennis Gunn (Auckland) 22 June 1920
- Samuel John Thorne (Auckland) 20 December 1920
- Hakaraia Te Kahu (Auckland) 10 October 1921
- John Tuhi (Wellington) 19 April 1923
- Daniel Richard Cooper (Wellington) 16 June 1923
- Robert Herbert Scott (Auckland) 17 April 1924
- Arthur Thomas Munn (Auckland) 29 July 1930
- George Errol Coats (Wellington) 17 December 1931
- Edward Tarrant (Wellington) 6 March 1933
- John Hubert Edwards (Auckland) 11 December 1933
- George Edward James (Wellington) 15 December 1933
- William Alfred Bayly (Auckland) 20 July 1934
- Charles William Price (Wellington) 27 June 1935
- William Geovanni Silveo Fiori (Auckland) 13 March 1952
- Eruera Te Rongapatahi (Auckland) 14 September 1953
- Harry Whiteland (Auckland) 21 December 1953
- Frederick Foster (Auckland) 7 July 1955
- Edward Thomas Te Whiu (Auckland) 18 August 1955
- Harvey Eric Allwood (Auckland) 13 October 1955
- Albert Laurence Black (Auckland) 5 December 1955
- Walter James Bolton (Auckland) 18 February 1957
Source: Sherwood Young, Guilty on the gallows, Grantham House, Wellington, 1998
