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

List of executions Historically, executions in Delaware were carried out locally by hanging in county prisons known as "workhouses". The state used a portable gallows kept at New Castle and transported to Kent and Sussex Counties as needed during the 20th century, although "serious offenders" could be sent to New Castle for execution at the discretion of the other two counties' courts. Delaware briefly abolished capital punishment from 1958 to 1961."Delaware", Death Penalty Information CenterDelaware, executions recorded in statewide records, 1956-1977, Undated

+NameRaceAgeSexDate of executionCountyCrimeVictim(s)GovernorFrenchMiddle EasternMOctober 19, 1662SussexMalicious woundingThree people, whiteN/AJudith RoeWhiteFMarch 15, 1688KentMurder-RobberyMale, whiteWilliam PennEleanor MooreWhiteFMay 9, 1722New CastleMurderUnknown, white (newborn child)John PennCatherine BevanWhite50FJune 10, 1731New CastlePetty treason-MurderHenry Bevan, 60, white (Bevan's husband)Patrick GordonPeter MurphyWhiteMTerrence WhiteWhiteMMay 1747New CastleBurglaryGeorge ThomasThomas WhiteWhiteMNovember 1748New CastleBestialityA mareThomas White, DE, 1748 OctoberJames HamiltonJohn GillespieWhiteMJune 1749New CastleBurglaryJohn Roach, DE, 1749 August 31John RoachWhiteMJohn SlainWhiteMRapeJohn Slain, DE, 1749 June 22PhilBlackMSeptember 1750KentBurglaryMargaret SextonWhiteFJune 17, 1751New CastleMurderMale, 4, white (stepson)Alice CunninghamWhiteFFebruary 8, 1752KentMurderEleanor Gulliver, whiteAlice Cunningham, DE, 1752 February 8Archibald CunninghamWhiteMJames DuffyWhiteMAugust 21, 1754KentMurderJohn Brown, whiteRobert Hunter MorrisDavid BrownWhiteMJune 7, 1757New CastleBurglaryWilliam DennyThomas CoughlinWhiteMEleanor EvansWhiteFMay 11, 1761KentMurderFemale, white (illegitimate child)Eleanor Evans, DE, 1761 May 11James HamiltonHugh BarclayWhiteMJune 9, 1770New CastleBurglaryRichard McWilliam, whiteJohn PennCharlesBlackMNovember 20, 1770KentRapeMary Crippen, whiteGeorgeBlackMOctober 6, 1773KentMurderMargaret Scantlin, whiteGeorge, DE, 1773Richard PennCheney ClowWhite49MSeptember 15, 1783KentMurderMoore, white (posse member)Nicholas Van DykeJohn GreenWhiteMMay 1784New CastleMurderJohn Green, DE, 1784 AprilBennBlackMOctober 25, 1786KentRapeHannah Jackson, whiteSarah KirkWhiteFDecember 12, 1787New CastlePetty treason-MurderJames Kirk, white (husband)Sarah Kirk, DE, 1787 December 5Thomas CollinsBenBlackMSeptember 14, 1792New CastleRapeFemale, whiteJoshua ClaytonJohn MorrisBlackMDecember 18, 1792KentRapeFemale, whiteElihu PrettymanWhiteMApril 8, 1806SussexMurderPriscilla Prettyman, white (wife)Nathaniel MitchellGeorge ParkerWhiteMApril 21, 1807KentRapeHannah Bramble, whiteHenry BeretonWhiteMApril 13, 1813SussexMurder-RobberyJohn Ridgell, whiteJoseph HasletJohn GriffithWhiteMJohn SmithWhiteMDecember 21, 1815New CastleMurderJohn Smith, DE, 1815 December 21, Espy ArchiveDaniel RodneyWilliam PiperWhiteMApril 18, 1820SussexMurderFemale, white (mother)William Piper, DE, 1820 April 18, Espy ArchiveJohn CollinsHenry BarrettBlackMFebruary 5, 1822KentMurderHenry Douglass, whiteJacob ElliottBlackMDecember 31, 1822New CastleMurderJohn Kean, whiteJacob Elliott, DE, 1822 December 31, Espy ArchiveCaleb RodneyElisha SharpWhiteMNovember 8, 1825SussexMurderTwo people, white (wife and child)Elisha Sharp, DE, 1825 November 8, Espy ArchiveSamuel PaynterRobert MorrisWhiteMNovember 8, 1831SussexMurderCharles Hilborn, whiteRobert Morris, DE, 1831 November 8, Espy ArchiveDavid HazzardThomas MorganBlackMJune 17, 1839New CastleMurderMale, black (brother-in-law)Thomas Morgan, DE, 1839 June 17Cornelius P. ComegysPerry BaileyBlackMFebruary 7, 1849New CastleRapeMary Ann Sythens, whiteWilliam TharpJames AndersonBlackMJuly 31, 1851New CastleMurderJoseph Williams, 70, whiteWilliam H. H. RossEmpson BayardBlackMSamuel WardBlack22MSeptember 8, 1852New CastleMurderGeorge A. Davidson, 25, whiteSamuel Ward, DE, 1852 September 8, Espy ArchiveJohn BowenWhiteMFebruary 10, 1860New CastleMurderJohn W. Dewlin, whiteJohn Bowen, DE, 1860 February 10, Espy ArchiveWilliam BurtonJohn CannonBlack18MDecember 14, 1860SussexMurder-RapeMs. Griffin, 14, whiteJohn Cannon, DE, 1869 December 14, Espy ArchiveGove SaulsburySarah BradleyBlack18FMurderEllen Wright, 14 months, whiteSarah Bradley, DE, 1869 December 14, Espy ArchiveLevi JenkinsBlack35MRapeHester A. Johnson, blackLevi Jenkins, DE, 1869 December 14, Espy ArchiveJohn CannonBlackMDecember 28, 1860KentRapeMary Ann Martin, whiteJohn Cannon, DE, 1860 December 28, Espy ArchiveThomas OrskinsWhiteMFebruary 14, 1863KentMurderJohn Bennett, whiteThomas Orskins, DE, 1863 February 14William ManluffBlack25MJuly 20, 1866New CastleAggravated burglaryHannah Febiger Jones and Elizabeth Griffith, 71 and 20, whiteWilliam Manluff, DE, 1866 July 20Andrew ArmstrongWhite53MFebruary 8, 1867New CastleMurderCaroline Douglass Armstrong, 36, white (wife)Andrew Armstrong, 1867 February 8, Espy ArchiveJoshua JonesBlack17MFebruary 4, 1870New CastleRape-BurglaryMary Meredith, 43, whiteJoshua Jones, DE, 1870 February 4, Espy ArchiveLouis CarpenterBlack21MEdward YoungBlack19MJune 24, 1870KentMurder-RobberyThomas Hogan, 50, whiteEdward Young, DE, 1870 June 24Benjamin JohnsonBlack33MDecember 16, 1870SussexRapeCharlotte Fletcher, 28, whiteBenjamin Johnson, DE, 1870, Espy ArchiveAndrew ClarkBlack41MJuly 12, 1872New CastleRapeMartha Rakes, 14, blackJames PonderWilliam DennisMixed20MJanuary 24, 1873New CastleRapeMary Thompson, 26, whiteBill Dennis, DE, 1873 January 24Joseph BurtonBlack23MJune 20, 1873SussexRapeHannah Lank, 14, whiteJoseph Burton, DE, 1873 June 20, Espy ArchiveJohn RhodesBlack24MSeptember 21, 1877New CastleMurderJames Temple, blackJohn Rhodes, DE, 1877 September 21, Espy ArchiveJohn P. CochranSamuel ChambersBlack35MMarch 22, 1878New CastleRapeMary Catherine Smith, 32, whiteGeorge Collins, DE, 1878 March 22, Espy ArchiveGeorge CollinsBlack19MJames ReddenBlack21MAugust 25, 1882New CastleRapeSallie Jane Purse, 14, whiteJames Redden, DE, 1882 August 25, Espy ArchiveJohn W. HallCharles RobinsonBlack33MApril 16, 1886New CastleRapeElla F. Gardner, 21, whiteCharles Robinson, DE, 1886 April 16, Espy ArchiveCharles C. StockleyCharles ReidelWhite36MAugust 10, 1888New CastleMurderLena and Wilhelm Reidel, 37 and 7, white (wife and son)Benjamin T. BiggsJesse ProctorBlack34MFebruary 13, 1891KentMurder-RobberyStephen Lindsay, 82, blackJesse Proctor, DE, 1891 February 13, Espy ArchiveRobert J. ReynoldsFredrick YoungBlack17MShakespeare ReevesBlack33MMarch 6, 1891New CastleRapeGrace Clark, 11, whiteShakespeare Reeves, DE, 1891 March 6, Espy ArchiveJames ThoroughgoodBlack22MAugust 7, 1891KentRapeLouisa Gertrude Huffington, 8, blackJames Thoroughgood, DE, 1891 August 7, Espy ArchiveEdward WrightBlack29MJanuary 1, 1897New CastleMurderIda Crummel, 23, black (ex-girlfriend)Edward Wright, DE, 1897 January 1, Espy ArchiveEbe W. TunnellThomas WillisBlack23MFebruary 19, 1897New CastleMurderCallie Willis, 1, black (daughter)Thomas Willis, DE, 1897 February 19James GordyWhite29MJune 11, 1897SussexMurderMary Estelle Lewis Gordy, 33, white (wife)James Gordy, DE, 1897 June 11, Espy ArchiveJohn JoinerBlack25MSeptember 2, 1904New CastleMurderJohn R. Taylor, 23, blackJohn Joiner, DE, 1904 September 2, Espy ArchiveJohn HunnWilliam ArcherBlack21MJanuary 11, 1907New CastleMurderIda Elizabeth Spires, 28, black (girlfriend)William Archer, DE, 1907 January 25, Espy ArchivePreston LeaLewis JonesBlack30MJanuary 25, 1907New CastleMurderArameda Jones, 24, blackLewis Jones, DE, 1907 January 11, Espy ArchiveReese RobertsBlack30MJuly 14, 1911New CastleMurder-BurglaryRobert and Ann Cloud Casey, 70 and 68, whiteReese Roberts, DE, 1911 July 14, Espy ArchiveSimeon S. PennewillPeter KrakusWhite25MMay 14, 1915New CastleMurderFrancis X. Tierney, 31, white (police officer)Peter Krakus, DE, 1915 May 14, Espy ArchiveCharles R. MillerWilliam PrettymanBlack29MSeptember 28, 1917SussexMurderZadoc B. Parker, 38, blackWebster Purnell, DE, 1917 September 28, Espy ArchiveJohn G. Townsend Jr.Adam HargusBlack34MWebster PurnellBlack36MSamuel GangusWhite24MJanuary 11, 1918New CastleMurderCatherine Bodjeska, 20, whiteSamuel Gangus, DE, 1918 January 11, Espy ArchiveErnest ThomasBlack21MNovember 26, 1920New CastleRapeEmma Talley, 58, whiteErnest Thomas, 1920 November 26, Espy ArchiveLemuel PriceBlack24MDecember 3, 1920New CastleMurderThomas L. Zebley, 41, white (police officer)Lemuel Price, DE, 1920 December 3, Espy ArchiveHarry ButlerBlack21MFebruary 26, 1926SussexRapeEleanor Steinmetz, 10, whiteHarry Butler, DE, 1926 February 26, Espy ArchiveRobert P. RobinsonCarl SkinnerBlack27MMay 27, 1927SussexRape-BurglaryJulia A. Bennett, 85, whiteCarl Skinner, DE, 1927 May 27, Espy ArchiveLouis GalvanoWhite21MMarch 28, 1930New CastleMurderArthur C. Cline, 24, whiteLouis Galvano, DE, 1930 March 28, Espy ArchiveC. Douglass BuckTheodore RussBlack24MAugust 22, 1930KentRape-BurglaryMary Kemp Read, 21, whiteTheodore Ross, DE, 1930 August 22, Espy ArchiveJohn C. MorganWhite44MApril 12, 1935KentMurderDominique J. Pierre, 61, whiteJohn Morgan, DE, 1935 April 12, Espy ArchiveMay H. CareyWhite52FJune 7, 1935SussexMurderRobert R. Hitchens, 55, white (May's brother)May Carey, Howard Carey, 1935 June 7, Espy ArchiveHoward CareyWhite28MGeorge ScottBlack26MNovember 20, 1936New CastleMurderElbert Paul, 23, blackGeorge Scott, DE, 1936 November 20, Espy ArchiveIsaiah OpherBlack36MJanuary 3, 1937New CastleMurder-Attempted rapeIsabelle Robinson, 13, blackIsaiah Opher, DE, 1937 January 3, Espy ArchiveJoseph NelsonBlack36MJune 4, 1937SussexMurderCarrie Lethal, 51, black (common-law wife)Joseph Nelson, DE, 1937 June 4, Espy ArchiveRichard McMullenCurnel RobinsonBlack34MJanuary 14, 1941New CastleRapeFemale, 15, whiteCurnel Robinson, DE, 1941 January 14, Espy ArchiveRalph W. ErnestWhite33MJanuary 9, 1942New CastleRapeFemale, 6, whiteRalph Ernest, DE, 1942 January 9, Espy ArchiveWalter W. BaconAnderson D. J. ButlerBlack23MDecember 7, 1945New CastleRapeFemale, 12, whiteAnderson Butler, DE, 1945 December 7, Espy ArchiveForrest SturdivantBlack34MMay 10, 1946SussexMurderGeorge Leslie Polk, 65, blackForrest Sturdivant, DE, 1946 May 10, Espy Archive

See also Capital punishment in Delaware Capital punishment in the United States

Notes

References