Richard Burgess
Encyclopedia
Richard S Burgess was a notorious murderer known for the "Maungatapu murders
" which occurred on the Maungatapu
track, south-east of Nelson, New Zealand
.
Born Richard Hill in west London
in 1829, reputedly the illegitimate son of a guards officer and a lady's companion He became involved in petty street crime at age 14 and was soon jailed and flogged for pickpocketing. Two years later he was sentenced to 15 years transportation
for burglary. After 20 months' solitary he was shipped to Melbourne
Australia
, arriving in September 1847.
In 1852 he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for armed highway robbery, and was released in October 1861. he was calling himself Burgess, the name of a New South Wales
runholder he had attempted to steal from. He left Australia in January 1862 for New Zealand
and the Central Otago Gold Rush
. On 12 June 1866 James Battle was murdered on the Maungatapu track, south-east of Nelson by Burgess and four others, known as the 'Burgess gang' The following day four other men were killed nearby. In Court Burgess boasted of committing nine murders; he wrote his memoirs while awaiting trial. He was executed in Nelson Gaol on 5 October 1866.
Maungatapu murders
The Maungatapu murders were the events surrounding the murders of five people on the Maungatapu track in two separate attacks, near Nelson, New Zealand which occurred on 12 and 13 June 1866...
" which occurred on the Maungatapu
Maungatapu
The Maungatapu mountain is a mountain in New Zealand. The mountain is included in both Tasman and Marlborough regions. The mountain is 1014 meters high . The name translates to "sacred mountain" in the Māori language . The mountain was the location of the infamous Maungatapu murders.-Uses:The...
track, south-east of Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
.
Born Richard Hill in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1829, reputedly the illegitimate son of a guards officer and a lady's companion He became involved in petty street crime at age 14 and was soon jailed and flogged for pickpocketing. Two years later he was sentenced to 15 years transportation
Penal transportation
Transportation or penal transportation is the deporting of convicted criminals to a penal colony. Examples include transportation by France to Devil's Island and by the UK to its colonies in the Americas, from the 1610s through the American Revolution in the 1770s, and then to Australia between...
for burglary. After 20 months' solitary he was shipped to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, arriving in September 1847.
In 1852 he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for armed highway robbery, and was released in October 1861. he was calling himself Burgess, the name of a New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
runholder he had attempted to steal from. He left Australia in January 1862 for New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the Central Otago Gold Rush
Central Otago Gold Rush
The Central Otago Gold Rush was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand...
. On 12 June 1866 James Battle was murdered on the Maungatapu track, south-east of Nelson by Burgess and four others, known as the 'Burgess gang' The following day four other men were killed nearby. In Court Burgess boasted of committing nine murders; he wrote his memoirs while awaiting trial. He was executed in Nelson Gaol on 5 October 1866.