List of people executed in North Carolina (pre-1972)

The following is a list of people executed by the U.S. state of North Carolina before 1972, when capital punishment was briefly abolished by the Supreme Court's ruling in Furman v. Georgia. For execution after the restoration of capital punishment by the Supreme Court's ruling in Gregg v. Georgia (1976), see List of people executed in North Carolina.

Hanging

1789–1799 +NameRaceAgeSexDate of executionCountyCrimeVictim(s)GovernorJohn MaynardWhiteMNovember 14, 1791ChowanHorse stealingJohn Maynard, NC, 1791 November 14Alexander MartinJames SmithWhiteMApril 23, 1792HalifaxHorse stealingJames Smith, NC, 1792 April 23William CookWhiteMSeptember 14, 1792CumberlandHorse stealingWilliam Cook, NC, 1792 September 14Samuel FullerWhite30MNovember 2, 1792OrangeMurderMale, white (son)Samuel Fuller, NC, 1792 November 2IsaacBlackMMarch 25, 1793HalifaxMurderJoel Roner, whiteIsaac, NC, 1793 MarchRichard Dobbs SpaightJohn EdwardsWhiteMJuly 6, 1793Craven (Federal)Murder-MutinyClaude Paine, NC, 1793 July 6Henry McDanielWhiteMPhilip MaunierWhiteMClaude PaineWhiteMWilliam AldridgeWhiteMApril 25, 1794CravenMurderJesse Farmer, whiteWilliam Aldridge, NC, 1794 April 25UnknownBlackMSeptember 1794HertfordAttempted poisoningSlave, NC, 1794 SeptemberUnknownBlackMSeptember 5, 1794NorthamptonMurderNathaniel Norwood, white (owner)Unnamed, NC, 1794 September 5UnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMJuly 2, 1795New HanoverMurderJacob Lewis, white (overseer)Unnamed, NC, 1795 July 2Will, NC, 1795 July 8Augustus, NC, 1795 August 11WillBlackMJuly 8, 1795AugustusBlackMAugust 11, 1795William BriggsWhiteMMay 7, 1796ChowanMurderWilliam Ellis, whiteWilliam Briggs, NC, 1796 May 7Samuel AsheWilliam MooreWhiteMMay 9, 1797CumberlandMurderWilliam Norcott, whiteWilliam Moore, NC, 1797 May 9PhilMixedMApril 27, 1798WakeBurglaryN/APhil, NC, 1798 April 27

1800s +NameRaceAgeSexDate of executionCountyCrimeVictim(s)GovernorElijah T. DunnavantWhiteMMay 17, 1800HalifaxSlave stealingElijah T. Dunnavant, NC, 1800 MayBenjamin WilliamsSmithWhiteMJohn RogersWhiteMNovember 21, 1800CumberlandMurderMale, white (brother-in-law)John Rogers, NC, 1800 November 21LibertyBlackMDecember 19, 1801RutherfordRapeLiberty, NC, 1801 December 19UnknownBlackM1802ChowanSlave revoltUnnamed, NC, 1802UnknownBlackMUnknownBlackM1802PerquimansSlave revoltUnnamed, NC, 1802UnknownBlackM1802WashingtonSlave revoltUnnamed, NC, 1802UnknownBlackM1802EdgecombeSlave revoltUnnamed, NC, 1802UnknownBlackMMay 15, 1802CamdenSlave revoltUnnamed, NC, 1802 May 15UnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMMay 15, 1802HalifaxUnnamed, NC, 1802 May 15UnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMMay 19, 1802CurrituckSlave revoltUnnamed, NC, 1802 May 19UnknownBlackMFrankBlackMJune 1802HertfordSlave revoltFrank, NC, 1802 JuneUnknownBlackMJune 1802MartinSlave revoltUnnamed, NC, 1802UnknownBlackMBobBlackMJune 11, 1802BertieSlave revoltFrank, NC, 1802 June 11DaveBlackMFrankBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMSamBlackMJune 27, 1802HalifaxSlave revoltSam, NC, 1802 June 27JimBlackMSeptember 10, 1802WakeRapeFemale, whiteJim, NC, 1802 September 10MosesBlackMDecember 8, 1802AnsonMurderMale, white (owner)Moses, NC, 1802 December 8James TurnerPeteBlackMJanuary 1803GatesMurderMale, whitePete, NC, 1803 JanuaryJohn SloanWhiteMMay 3, 1805OrangeHorse stealingJohn Sloan, NC, 1805 May 3UnknownBlackFJuly 13, 1805WayneMurderSeveral people, whiteUnnamed, NC, 1805 July 13Unnamed, NC, 1805 July 17Unnamed, NC, 1805UnknownBlackMJuly 17, 1805UnknownBlackMUnknownBlackMMicajah JohnsonWhiteM1806CumberlandKidnappingMale, blackMicajah Johnson, NC, 1806Nathaniel AlexanderUnknownBlackFMarch 26, 1806SampsonMurderFemale, blackUnnamed, NC, 1806 March 26Cavenaugh NewportWhiteMJanuary 6, 1809AnsonHorse stealingCavenaugh Newport, NC, 1809 October 6David Stone

1810s +NameRaceAgeSexDate of executionCountyCrimeVictim(s)GovernorWilliam SimonsWhite25MOctober 12, 1810PasquotankMurderThomas Sherlock, whiteWilliam Simons, NC, 1810 October 12David StoneLewis BelchWhiteMNovember 9, 1810BertieHorse stealingLewis Belch, NC, 1810 November 9Anthony WigginsBlackMMurderJames Hayes, whiteAnthony Wiggins, NC, 1810 November 9Edward TinkerWhiteMSeptember 27, 1811CarteretMurderMr. Edwards, whiteEdward Tinker, NC, 1811 September 27Benjamin SmithBristerBlackMFebruary 28, 1812WakeMurderChristopher Robertson, white (owner)Brister, NC, 1812 February 28William HawkinsJimBlackMJuly 23, 1816PersonMurderHenry A. Jones, white (owner)Jim, NC, 1816 July 23William MillerRiley FitzpatrickWhiteMSeptember 10, 1816Horse stealingRiley Fitzpatrick, NC, 1816 September 10William NeelWhiteMDecember 13, 1816MecklenburgMurderWilliam Neel, NC, 1816 December 13John BranchAbram HendricksWhiteMMay 1, 1818RowanSlave stealing and horse stealingAbram Hendricks, NC, 1818 May 1BrayboyMixedMMay 22, 1818CumberlandMurderMale, mixedBrayboy, NC, 1818 May 22Benjamin GrayWhiteMBurglaryBenjamin Gray, NC, 1818 May 22General DawsonWhiteMMay 22, 1818WashingtonMurderMale, 8 or 9, white (son)General Dawson, NC, 1818 May 22UnknownBlackMMay 29, 1818PasquotankMurderMale, whiteUnnamed, NC, 1818 May 29UnknownBlackMMay 29, 1818FranklinRapeUnnamed, NC, 1818 May 29David JerniganWhiteMApril 23, 1819WayneSlave stealingDavid Jernigan, NC, 1819 April 23

1820s +NameRaceAgeSexDate of executionCountyCrimeVictim(s)GovernorWilliam SparrowWhite47MMay 12, 1820OrangeMurderJohn Hunt, whiteWilliam Sparrow, 1820 May 12John BranchMason ScottWhite19MNovember 10, 1820WakeMurderCaleb, blackMason Scott, NC, 1820 November 10Jim SmithBlackMMay 24, 1822CravenJim Smith, NC, 1822 May 24Gabriel HolmesWilliam PorterWhiteMMay 31, 1822New HanoverBurglaryWilliam Porter, NC, 1822 May 31John SampsonBlackMJune 14, 1822CumberlandMurderBurwell Rouse, whiteJohn Sampson, NC, 1822 June 14DarbyBlackMJuly 16, 1822CabarrusRapeFemale, 12 or 13, whiteDarby, NC, 1822 July 16William BowserBlackMNovember 16, 1822PasquotankBurglaryWilliam Bowser, NC, 1822 November 16CharlesBlackMSeptember 26, 1823TyrrellMurderMary Wynne, whiteJack, NC, 1823 September 26JackBlackMLaviniaBlackFJohn SkinnerWhiteMApril 23, 1824WashingtonMurderSamuel Skinner, white (brother)John Skinner, NC, 1824 April 23Lemuel LewisWhiteMMay 7, 1824WakeMurderHinton Pugh, whiteLemuel Lewis, NC, 1824 May 7GeorgeBlackMJune 28, 1824PerquimansMurderJesse Hassell, elderly, whiteGeorge, NC, 1824 June 28JimBlackMNovember 12, 1824GatesMurderElisha Cross, whiteJim, NC, 1824 November 12JimBlackMNovember 27, 1824BeaufortRapeFemale, whiteJim, NC, 1824 November 27Oliver LewisWhiteMJune 25, 1825WarrenMurderHinton Pugh, whiteOliver Lewis, NC, 1825 June 25Hutchins Gordon BurtonManuel AntoineWhiteMMay 12, 1826CravenMurderWilliam Johnson, whiteManuel Antoine, NC, 1826 May 12Daniel RashWhite27MSeptember 29, 1826SurryMurderMale, white (uncle)Daniel Rash, NC, 1826 September 29DickBlackMDecember 9, 1826SampsonRapeDick, NC, 1826 December 9NedBlackMApril 13, 1827WakeMurderMale, white (owner)Ned, NC, 1827 April 13Joseph SollisWhiteMApril 27, 1827DuplinMurderAbraham Kornegay, whiteJoseph Sollis, NC, 1827 April 27MacBlackMMay 4, 1827FranklinMurderUnknown, blackMac, NC, 1827 May 4ScottBlackMMay 19, 1827OrangeMurderScott, NC, 1827 May 19NatBlack23MNovember 2, 1827RobesonArsonMrs. Murchison, whiteNat, NC, 1827 November 2J. W. GrantWhiteMDecember 7, 1827CaswellMurderMrs. Karborough and Mrs. Wilkinson, white (wives)J. W. Grant, NC, 1827 December 7James SelvynBlackMMay 23, 1828PasquotankBurglaryJames Selvyn, NC, 1828 May 23James Iredell Jr.JoeBlackMJune 20, 1828CabarrusMurderMrs. George Long, whiteMolly, NC, 1828 June 20MollyBlackFJoseph WeirWhiteMSlave stealingJoseph Weir, NC, 1828 June 20MarchBlackMSeptember 26, 1828TyrrellMurderJoseph J. Lindsay, whiteMarch, NC, 1828 September 26Jesse UptonWhiteMNovember 7, 1828GuilfordMurderFemale, white (wife)Jesse Upton, NC, 1828 November 7AbsalomBlackMApril 24, 1829ChathamMurderAlexander Clark, whiteAbsalom, NC, 1829 April 24John OwenJohn ChittamWhiteMJune 17, 1829CurrituckJohn Chittam, NC, 1828 June 17SamBlackMJuly 3, 1829MecklenburgBurglarySam, NC, 1829 July 3James MitchellBlackMDecember 4, 1829HalifaxMurderFemale, 4, black (stepdaughter)James Mitchell, NC, 1829 December 4

1830s