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Please can anyone help me find out if an execution actually went ahead, where would I find this information. I have names, dates and the court circuit where the men were found guilty and sentenced but need to find out if their sentence was actually carried out.

I'd also like to get hold of a copy of the trial notes and papers, is this possible and where would I go for this information.

Thank you for your suggestions
Kind regards
Carole - Coventry

have you done a search on Google?

If you could give names, dates and place, I can look at the Newspaper details for you - Liz

Have you tried FreeBMD for their deaths?

Hello Liz 47
The two gentlemen who were due for execution were Owen Fitzsimmons (42) and Edward Fitzsimmons (28) They were accused of murdering my Gt, Gt grandfather George Lawson on 14th November 1914, found guilty and sentenced to death at the Winter assizes of the Country of Durham.
The newspaper article was given to me by MarieCeleste a contributor on this site. The newspaper was the Newcastle Daily Journal dated Thursday 4th March 1915

I was researching a family tale, that my Gt Gt Grandfather was murdered by a press gang for refusing to sea, turns out her was murdered but as a result of a domestic dispute? I was really taken back and gave up researching for some time, as the thought of others being denied life concerned me. But I need to put this one to bed and find out if the sentence was commuted to life or they were indeed hanged.

Any pointers would be gratefully received,
Thanks very much
Carole

English & Welsh executions 1900 - 1931

http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/hanged1.html


English & Welsh executions 1932 - 1964

http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/hanged2.html

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C2453032


http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details/AssetMain?iaid=C2453031

safc - Thank you. This community site never ceases to amaze me, you have such information at your fingertips and what is equally impressive is the gregarious nature of everyone I've ever come across. Thousand thanks.

I see both sentences were commuted to life. I'm very happy now.
Just need to get the court transcripts, to see exactly what happened.

Thank you very much
Carole

Do you want me to look at the newspaper archives, or do you have the details you wanted,
Regards, Liz

just for additional info

this looks like the household in 1891 in Monkwearmouth

Patrick Fitzsimmons 23 head miner born Ireland married
> Owen Fitzsimmons 20 brother miner born Ireland
Rose Fitzsimmons 27 sister
Mary A Fitzsimmons 11 daughter
Catherine Fitzsimmons 9 daughter
> Edwin Fitzsimmons 7 son born Sunderland

except Ancestry has left out the first person in the list, Bridget Fitzsimmons, wife (mother of Patrick?), 36 ... and called her the wife of the apparently bigamous neighbour man just because she is shown first on the list ... she may have been Patrick's mother and his father was not at home

so Owen was Edward's uncle
(edit, it makes sense that they were brothers as MarieCeleste says below, the 1891 census household is confused ... MarieCeleste had found the newspaper articles in the previous thread and I think had already provided the info about their sentence)

1881

Patrick Fitzsimmons 35
Bridget Fitzsimmons 30
Margaret Fitzsimmons 16
Patrick Fitzsimmons 12
> Owen Fitzsimmons 10
Rose Fitzsimmons 8
Peter Fitzsimmons 6
Mary W. Fitzsimmons


anyway

if Owen Fitzsimmons was 42 in 1915

Births Mar 1871
Fitzsimmons Owen Durham 10a 363

this looks like his death 26 years later

Deaths Mar 1941
Fitzsimmons Owen 69 Sunderland 10a 1359


and if Edward Fitzsimmons was 28 in 1915 I think his age was understated some

Births Mar 1884
FITZSIMMONS Edward Sunderland 10a 687

this looks like his death 45 years later

Deaths Dec 1960
FITZSIMMONS Edward 76 Sunderland 1a 982

and for info the original thread

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1325188

Carole it's always wise to add new questions to the existing thread

that way people don't duplicate research

just click on 'my threads' over on the left of your monitor to find your threads

There were newspaper articles in 1915 that said the Fitzsimmon brothers were reprieved for the murder of George Lawson. Every article says they were brothers, ages tend to vary.

They seemed to be the sort of family who were determined to keep the magistrates in employment as there are quite a few mentions of them from around early 1900s to 1940s.

Carole you could buy a 2 day pass to the British Newspaper Archives for £7.95 and download all of the articles. (Or special offer of £9.95 for one month).
http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

Hello, I know it's been a while since this post began but I too have been researching this murder. It turns out that My Grandmothers aunt Margaret Lonergan married an Owen Fitzsimmons and lived in the Monkwearmouth area of Sunderland. Only this morning while in conversation about Margaret with my eldest Aunt was this mentioned, but she said that Margaret and her husband Owen liked a drink and that Owen was always in trouble and in the end he was charged with the murder along with his brother Edward of George Lawson, better known in the area as George Hardcastle. The relationship between Margaret and Owen ended before the murder took place and they had gone their seperate ways. The thing is I have reason to believe that Owen was back in the Sunderland area in 1941 where he met his death in a fatal fall. I hope this hasn't opened up any old wounds for you as I know that even though it was a long time ago it can still be upsetting. I can't find anything to say that they were released from prison anywhere but I am still looking. Also all of this could just be a family myth and the Owen fitzsimmons that Margaret married may be a completely different one who was also always introuble with the law.

Hello Sean,

if you look above in the thread you see the death registration info I posted which seemed to match the details for the Owen Fitzimmons in question in the original post here

Deaths Mar 1941
Fitzsimmons Owen age 69 Sunderland vol 10a page 1359

and that would also exactly match the story you have been given

the death certificate would state the cause of death if you are interested in knowing for sure

Stephen Wade has wrote two really good books on Durham hangings
I have the first one but need the second :-(

Some items about the death of Owen Fitzsimmons in 1941:

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/keepsafe/asset/details/14274488

THEY WERE NOT A NICE COUPLE OF MEN