British Executions

John McConville

Age: unknown

Sex: male

Crime: murder

Date Of Execution: 23 Mar 1869

Crime Location:

Execution Place: Durham

Method: hanging

Executioner: William Calcraft

Source: http://greggmanning.scstamps.co.uk/Murder1/docm.htm

On 30 January 1869, Philip Trainer, an Irish labourer, was shot dead outside a Darlington public house. He had, until a few days earlier, been a member of a secret Fenian society but left the group after disassociating himself from their subversive activities. Shortly before midnight twenty three year old John McConville, another Irish labourer, got into an argument with Trainer and challenged him to a fight outside the pub. As a crowd streamed out, McConville fired into it, fatally wounding Trainer. He was convicted of murder and on the 23 March 1869 was hanged in Durham by William Calcraft.