John Gavin (convict) explained

John Gavin (or John Gaven) (1829 – 6 April 1844) was the first European settler to be legally executed in Western Australia.[1] He was executed for murder at the age of fifteen.[2]

Life

Born in 1829, Gavin[3] was convicted of an offence while still a juvenile, and was transported to Western Australia as a Parkhurst apprentice, arriving on board Shepherd in October 1843.

On 3 April 1844, he was tried for the murder of his employer's son, 18-year-old George Pollard. He confessed[4] to killing the sleeping victim with an adze,[5] but he seemed unaware of a rational motive. Three days later he was publicly hanged outside the Round House in Fremantle. After a death mask had been taken and his brain studied for "scientific purposes" he was buried in the sand hills to the south without a ceremony.[4]

References

  1. News: A Very Old Resident - The Late Mr George Pollard. The South-Western Advertiser and Murray Wellington Times. 1929-04-05. 8. 2014-08-03.
  2. Web site: Fremantle Prison Timeline . 2014-08-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140925124815/http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/History/fremantleprisontimeline/Pages/default.aspx . 2014-09-25 .
  3. Web site: The Old Court House Law Museum. The Law Society of Western Australia. 2014-08-03. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140808052152/http://www.lawsocietywa.asn.au/page.php?id=60. 2014-08-08.
  4. News: Confession of the murder of George Pollard. The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal. 1844-04-06. 3. 2014-08-03.
  5. News: Quarter sessions. The Inquirer. 1844-04-10. 2. 2014-08-03.