The death penalty

Page 5 – List of executions

Those executed in New Zealand

Between Maketu’s execution in 1842 and Walter Bolton in 1957, there were a further 82 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
  • Kohn 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

How to cite this page

'List of executions', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/culture/the-death-penalty/notable-executions, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 1-Aug-2013