Robert Leslie Stewart (April 1918 – 30 April 1988), from Edinburgh, Scotland, was one of the last executioners in the United Kingdom, officiating between 1950 and 1964.
Brought up in Dundee Street in Edinburgh, 3 miles from Saughton Prison, Stewart completed the Prison Commissioners' Assistant Executioner training course in September 1950 at Pentonville Prison in London. His name first appeared on the Home Office list in 1950, with his first engagement occurring at Norwich on 19 July 1951, assisting Stephen Wade at the execution of Alfred Reynolds.[1]
Stewart was active on the Home Office list between 1950 and the suspension of capital punishment for murder in 1965, carrying out 21 executions as assistant. On the 1957 printing of the list, Stewart and Harry Allen were both promoted to the role of executioner in the wake of the resignation of Albert Pierrepoint and the death of Wade, both in 1956. In this capacity, Stewart carried out six executions. He also assisted Harry Allen at the execution of Anthony Miller, the last teenager to be executed in the United Kingdom.
Stewart performed one of the last executions in the United Kingdom at 8 am on 13 August 1964, when he hanged Peter Anthony Allen at Walton Prison. Allen had been convicted of the murder of John Alan West; Allen's accomplice, Gwynne Owen Evans, was hanged at Strangeways Prison in Manchester, at the same time by Harry Allen. Stewart also carried out the last execution in Wales, that of Vivian Teed at Swansea Prison in May 1958, for the murder of a postmaster during a robbery in Swansea.
Stewart died in South Africa in 1988 at the age of 70. He had emigrated there after the abolition of capital punishment to work as an airline engineer.
Executions performed by Stewart as chief executioneredit
robert, leslie, stewart, zealand, yachtsman, robert, stewart, sailor, april, 1918, april, 1988, from, edinburgh, scotland, last, executioners, united, kingdom, officiating, between, 1950, 1964, brought, dundee, street, edinburgh, miles, from, saughton, prison,. For the New Zealand yachtsman see Robert Stewart sailor Robert Leslie Stewart April 1918 30 April 1988 from Edinburgh Scotland was one of the last executioners in the United Kingdom officiating between 1950 and 1964 Brought up in Dundee Street in Edinburgh 3 miles from Saughton Prison Stewart completed the Prison Commissioners Assistant Executioner training course in September 1950 at Pentonville Prison in London His name first appeared on the Home Office list in 1950 with his first engagement occurring at Norwich on 19 July 1951 assisting Stephen Wade at the execution of Alfred Reynolds 1 Stewart was active on the Home Office list between 1950 and the suspension of capital punishment for murder in 1965 carrying out 21 executions as assistant On the 1957 printing of the list Stewart and Harry Allen were both promoted to the role of executioner in the wake of the resignation of Albert Pierrepoint and the death of Wade both in 1956 In this capacity Stewart carried out six executions He also assisted Harry Allen at the execution of Anthony Miller the last teenager to be executed in the United Kingdom Stewart performed one of the last executions in the United Kingdom at 8 am on 13 August 1964 when he hanged Peter Anthony Allen at Walton Prison Allen had been convicted of the murder of John Alan West Allen s accomplice Gwynne Owen Evans was hanged at Strangeways Prison in Manchester at the same time by Harry Allen Stewart also carried out the last execution in Wales that of Vivian Teed at Swansea Prison in May 1958 for the murder of a postmaster during a robbery in Swansea Stewart died in South Africa in 1988 at the age of 70 He had emigrated there after the abolition of capital punishment to work as an airline engineer Executions performed by Stewart as chief executioner edit6 May 1958 Vivian Teed HMP Swansea 17 December 1958 Brian Chandler HMP Durham 14 May 1959 Michael George Tatum HMP Winchester 10 November 1960 Norman Harris HMP Pentonville London 17 December 1963 Dennis Whitty HMP Winchester 13 August 1964 Peter Anthony Allen HMP Liverpool References editNotes Fielding 2008 p 287 Bibliography Fielding Steve 2008 The Executioner s Bible John Blake Publishing ISBN 978 1 84454 648 0 nbsp nbsp This Scottish biographical article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert Leslie Stewart amp oldid 1174839802, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
