Arthur William Hodge | |
|---|---|
.JPG) | |
| Born | 1763 |
| Died | 8 May 1811 (aged 48) Tortola Prison, Tortola, British Virgin Islands |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 60+ |
Span of crimes | Unknown–1811 |
| Country | British Virgin Islands |
| Location(s) | Tortola |
| Target(s) | Slaves |
Date apprehended | 11 March 1811 |
Arthur William Hodge (c. 1763 – 8 May 1811) was a Tortolan-born planter, politician and serial killer who was executed by hanging in 1811 for murdering one of his slaves. Born on the British Virgin Islands, Hodge studied at Oriel College, Oxford, matriculating in 1781 before briefly serving as an officer in the 23rd Regiment of Foot. Returning to Tortola in 1803, he settled down to a life as a plantation owner while also pursuing a political career, serving in both the colony's Executive Council and its Legislative Assembly. In 1811, Hodge was hanged after being found guilty of murdering a slave he owned, the first British subject to be executed for such a crime.[1]
- ^ Vernon Pickering, A Concise History of the British Virgin Islands, ISBN 0-934139-05-9, page 48.