CANADA DEATH PENALTY INDEX
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NOVA SCOTIA
All known executions were carried out by hanging. The early history of Nova Scotia includes many executions of mutineers and pirates. Some of these victims were gibbetted and displayed in present-day Point Pleasant Park and McNab's Island as a warning to sailors entering Halifax harbour. There were two occasions where 6 prisoners were hanged at once.


NOVA SCOTIA (1713-1820)
France established the first colony at Port Royal. Over time Britain seized the territory, ceded it back to France and captured it again. British control was confirmed with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Nova Scotia included present-day New Brunswick and part of Maine. In 1758 Britain captured present-day Prince Edward Island from France and it became part of Nova Scotia. In 1763 France ceded present-day Cape Breton Island to Britain and it became part of Nova Scotia. In 1769 Prince Edward Island became a separate colony. New Brunswick and Cape Breton Island were separated from Nova Scotia in 1784. Nova Scotia gained its current boundries with the rejoining of Cape Breton in 1820.
Name Date Method Location Crime Sex Race Age Occupation Executioner Notes
Cartcel, Peter 1749 September 02 hanged Halifax murder M ? ? sailor ? Stabbed Abraham Goodsides during an argument.
ZZ 1752 June 22 hanged Halifax ? M ? ? ? ? 1 of 2 hanged together. A third criminal was reprieved at the gallows.
ZZ 1752 June 22 hanged Halifax ? M ? ? ? ? 1 of 2 hanged together. A third criminal was reprieved at the gallows.
ZZ 1752 August 25 shot Halifax desertion M ? ? soldier ? Escaped back to Europe where he was caught.
Belcher, William 1752 November 20 hanged Halifax burglary M ? ? soldier ? Spoke little at the gallows.
Jobbit, Thomas 1752 November 20 hanged Halifax burglary M ? ? soldier ? In his final statement he warned fellow soldiers to spend more time in church and less time in the "gin-shops."
Wheldon, Richard 1752 November 20 hanged Halifax burglary M ? ? soldier ? Declared he was innocent.
Driscoll, Cornelius 1765 May 20 hanged Dartmouth murder M ? ? sailor ? Murdered a man and woman in Halifax on 25 Apr 1765 with D. Lawlor.
Lawlor, David 1765 May 20 hanged Dartmouth murder M ? ? sailor ? Murdered a man and woman in Halifax on 25 Apr 1765 with C. Driscoll.
Donnelly, James 1765 May 28 hanged Dartmouth burglary M ? ? sailor ? Broke into the home of Adam Prester of Dartmouth on 26 Apr 1765 and stole 20 pounds worth of gold and silver and some linen.
Evans, John 1765 May 28 hanged Dartmouth burglary M ? ? sailor ? Broke into the home of Adam Prester of Dartmouth on 26 Apr 1765 and stole 20 pounds worth of gold and silver and some linen.
Smith, Joshua 1765 May 28 hanged Dartmouth burglary M ? ? sailor ? Broke into the home of Adam Prester of Dartmouth on 26 Apr 1765 and stole 20 pounds worth of gold and silver and some linen.
Taylor, David 1765 May 28 hanged Dartmouth burglary M ? ? sailor ? Broke into the home of Adam Prester of Dartmouth on 26 Apr 1765 and stole 20 pounds worth of gold and silver and some linen.
ZZ 1785 hanged Halifax theft F black ? ? ? Stole a bag of potatoes.
ZZ 1785 hanged Halifax ? ? black ? ? ? ?
ZZ 1785 hanged Halifax ? ? black ? ? ? ?
ZZ 1790 hanged Halifax ? F ? ? ? ? This unknown woman was hanged from the back of a horse cart.
Boutilier, George 1791 May 09 hanged Lunenburg murder M ? ? ? ? On 19 March murdered, burned and robbed George Emmenand, his wife and their daughter-in-law.
Boutilier, John 1791 May 09 hanged Lunenburg murder M ? ? ? ? On 19 March murdered, burned and robbed George Emmenand, his wife and their daughter-in-law.
Bembridge, Thomas 1798 October 25 hanged Halifax murder M white ? ? ? Murdered Miss Mary Russell.
Fitzgerald, Garrett 1800 July 07 hanged Halifax mutiny M ? ? soldier ? One of 3 hanged at Citadel Hill for involvement in the Irish uprising in St John's.
Ivory, James 1800 July 07 hanged Halifax mutiny M ? ? soldier ? One of 3 hanged at Citadel Hill for involvement in the Irish uprising in St John's.
Power, Edward 1800 July 07 hanged Halifax mutiny M ? ? soldier ? One of 3 hanged at Citadel Hill for involvement in the Irish uprising in St John's.
Ratford, Jenkin 1807 August 31 hanged Halifax desertion, mutiny, contempt M white 34 sailor ? Deserted from HMS Halfax and captured aboard USS Chesapeake.
Coates, William 1809 September 18 hanged Halifax mutiny M white ? boatswain ? Took part in mutiny on HMS Columbine on 01 Aug 1809 at St Andrews. Hanged in chains on Meagher's Beach, McNab Island.
Coffee, Henry 1809 September 18 hanged Halifax mutiny M white ? marine ? Took part in mutiny on HMS Columbine on 01 Aug 1809 at St Andrews. Hanged in chains on Meagher's Beach, McNab Island.
Kelly, Edward 1809 September 18 hanged Halifax mutiny M white ? marine ? Took part in mutiny on HMS Columbine on 01 Aug 1809 at St Andrews. Hanged in chains on Meagher's Beach, McNab Island.
McKinley, Alexander 1809 September 18 hanged Halifax mutiny M white ? seaman ? Took part in mutiny on HMS Columbine on 01 Aug 1809 at St Andrews. Hanged in chains on Meagher's Beach, McNab Island.
Oiseau, Jacque 1809 September 18 hanged Halifax mutiny M white ? seaman ? Took part in mutiny on HMS Columbine on 01 Aug 1809 at St Andrews. Hanged in chains on Meagher's Beach, McNab Island.
Stock, William 1809 September 18 hanged Halifax mutiny M white ? seaman ? Took part in mutiny on HMS Columbine on 01 Aug 1809 at St Andrews. Hanged in chains on Meagher's Beach, McNab Island.
Jordan, Edward 1809 November 23 hanged Halifax piracy M white late 30's ? ? Lead a mutiny of the schooner Three Sisters.
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NOVA SCOTIA (1820-1867)
In 1848 Nova Scotia was the first British colony to achieve responsible government.
Name Date Method Location Crime Sex Race Age Occupation Executioner Notes
Flavio 1833 hanged Sydney murder F ? ? ? ? This woman had two men kill her husband. All 3 hanged together.
ZZ 1833 hanged Sydney murder M ? ? sailor ? Helped a woman kill her husband. All 3 hanged together.
ZZ 1833 hanged Sydney murder M ? ? sailor ? Helped a woman kill her husband. All 3 hanged together.
Anderson, Charles Gustavus 1844 July 30 hanged Halifax piracy M white 19 sailor ? Participated in the mutiny of the ship Saladin.
Hazelton, John 1844 July 30 hanged Halifax piracy M white 28 sailor ? Participated in the mutiny of the ship Saladin.
Jones, George 1844 July 30 hanged Halifax piracy M white ? sailor ? Participated in the mutiny of the ship Saladin.
Travaskiss, William 1844 July 30 hanged Halifax piracy M white 23 sailor ? Participated in the mutiny of the ship Saladin.
McFadgen, Neil 1848, December 20 hanged Pictou murder M ? ? ? ? Took James Cair out to show him a farm for sale, but instead murdered him and stole his money. Hanged at Hospital Point and buried on the beach.
MacPhail, John 1864 July 15 hanged Pictou murder M ? ? coal miner ? Beat his wife when he found her with another man. Occurred at Albion Mines (present-day Stellarton). Hanged near Hospital Point. Attended by a large number of spectators.
Dowcey, Henry 1866 January 24 hanged Halifax piracy M black ? ships cook ? Participated in the mutiny of the ship Zero.
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NOVA SCOTIA (1867-PRESENT)
Nova Scotia was one of the four founding provinces of Canadian Confederation in 1867. All executions from 1867 on were under Canadian jurisdiction.
Name Date Method Location Crime Sex Race Age Occupation Executioner Notes
Mailman, Peter 1873 December 30 hanged Lunenburg murder M ? 47 farmer ? Killed his wife, Mary Ann Mailman, with an ax.
Robbins, David 1875 December 16 hanged Digby murder M ? 56 farmer local Sheriff Murdered his wife, Emeline Robbins in Bear River. Hanged at Digby courthouse.
Smith, Robert 1881 January 20 hanged Lunenburg murder M ? ? ? ? Shot John Huey. Huey survived long enough to identify Smith as the shooter.
Thibault, Joseph N. 1881 February 08 hanged Annapolis Royal murder M white 45 farmer, ran poorhouse ? Murdered Charlotte Hill and burned her body in Aug 1880. He ran the poorhouse she worked in. An angry crowd knocked down the fence around the courthouse yard to view the hanging.
Wheeler, Pete 1896 September 07 hanged Kentville murder M ? ? farm hand ? Raped and murdered Annie Kempton on 27 Jan 1896 in Bear River.
Azabulley, Sion 1903 March 18 hanged Windsor murder M arab ? peddlar Radclive, John Bludgeoned a fellow peddlar, 16 year old Lion Lundore, for his watch. Hit him in the head with a rock and threw his body down Tennyscape Mine.
Robinson, William S. 1904 September 12 hanged Kentville murder M white 70 veteran of US civil war (Union Army) Radclive, John Murdered his wife Theresa Robinson at their home on North Mountain on 24 May 1904.
Stanely, George 1906 August 01 hanged Windsor murder M white bet. 28 and 30 occasional taylor ? Decapitated Freeman Harvey.
Tebo, John Oliver 1911 July 24 hanged Digby murder M ? 19 ? Smith, Sheriff Killed Edward McGregor with an ax while cleaning stolen cabbages.
Haynes, Frank 1914 May 08 hanged Sydney murder M ? ? ? Holmes, Jack Beat Benjamin Atkinson to death.
Cook, Edward 1914 June 30 hanged Halifax murder M ? ? labourer Holmes, Jack Shot and robbed Charles Asaff.
Brauer, Gustav 1914 November 11 hanged Sydney murder M white 20 coal miner Holmes, Jack Murdered Elizabeth Kozial age 6.
West, John 1915 April 19 hanged Sydney murder M black 47 labourer Holmes, Jack Murdered Miss Catherine Dunn.
Sparks, Lawrence 1917 July 27 hanged Halifax murder M black 25 labourer English, Arthur Shot Charles Dixon during a quarrel in Africville, Halifax on 11 Mar 1917.
Neri, Natali 1918 January 15 hanged Pictou murder M white 30 miner ? Cut Pietro Marablito's throat on 26 Jun 1917 at Evansville. Crime committed with victim's wife, Carmello Sofie Marablito. She was also sentenced to death but died of heart failure while in jail awaiting execution.
Loder, George E. 1921 August 31 hanged Pictou murder M white 29 labourer English, Arthur Robbed and shot Daniel Barry on 30 Dec 1920 and fled to PEI.
Roberts, Omar P. 1922 November 24 hanged Yarmouth murder M white 68 ? ? Murdered Flora Gray.
Bevis, Louis Marshall 1925 February 11 hanged Halifax murder M white 25 WWI veteran, career thief ? Shot Halifax constable Charles Fulton on 14 Jul 1924.
Jones, Louis 1928 January 19 hanged Halifax murder M black 29 labourer ? Murdered his wife, Alice Jones.
Sloane, Emmett A. 1930 May 20 hanged Sydney murder M ? 28 ski jumper Rioux Murdered Blois Rehburg.
Beckett, George Alfred 1931 April 30 hanged Sydney murder M white 42 iron worker, boiler maker Rioux, Arthur Beat Glace Bay taxi driver Nicholas Marthos on 22 Sept 1930.
Henwood, Alvah Rufus 1933 September 12 hanged Amherst murder M white 19 labourer ? Henwood and T. Smith, childhood friends, entered the home of Mabel Smith on 3 Feb 1933. They beat her with a basball bat, cut her throat, and stole $130. Henwood was arrested two weeks later, hours after he was married.
Smith, Trueman Mortimer 1933 September 12 hanged Amherst murder M white 19 labourer ? Smith and A. Henwood, childhood friends, entered the home of Mabel Smith on 3Feb 1933. They beat her with a baseball bat, cut her throat, and stole $130. Smith was arrested two weeks later.
Sampson, Daniel P. 1935 March 07 hanged Halifax murder M black 46 labourer ? Murdered two boys aged 10 and 12.
Farmer, Everett 1937 December 14 hanged Shelburne murder M black 35 construction labourer ? Shot his half-brother, Zachariah. Last execution in Nova Scotia.
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