Elijah Upjohn (1822–1885)
A man, supposed to be Upjohn, the late Victorian hangman, has been found dead in his tent, at Bourke. The body has been buried without an inquiry, and, as there are rumours of poisoning, the police are investigating the case.
Original publication
Additional Resources and Scholarship
- Trove search
- is charged with counterfeiting money and stealing goods, Courier (Hobart), 30 August 1845, p 3
- is sentenced to two years' gaol for receiving stolen goods, Courier (Hobart), 8 October 1845, p 2
- ad inquiring about his lost horse, Geelong Advertiser (Vic), 26 October 1852, p 4, column 5
- was a property owner in Geelong in 1853, Geelong Advertiser (Vic), 22 January 1853, p 2
- marriage notice, Argus (Melbourne), 12 June 1854, p 4
- charges William Shaw with stealing a cart from him, Geelong Advertiser (Vic), 29 June 1854, p 4
- is granted a nightman's license, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 13 January 1859, p 2
- inquires to the Ballarat Town Council whether if he takes out a license as a nightman he will be protected from competition; they say no, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 19 January 1859, p 2
- Ballarat Town Council say they would protect him from unlicensed competition, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 20 January 1859, p 2
- Town Council reacts to a 'nuisance' letter from Upjohn, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 10 March 1859, p 2
- ad taken by Upjohn offering his business for sale, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 22 March 1859, p 3, column 3
- ad taken by Upjohn informing the public that he has taken over the business of William Gardiner, nightman, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 30 July 1859, p 3, column 3
- Council declines to give Upjohn a license as nightman, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 6 June 1860, p 3
- is fined 5 shillings for drunkenness, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 24 August 1863, p 4
- applies for a license as a nightman; it has been reported he has dumped night soil in various parts of the town; he will be given one more more trial, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 22 September 1863, p 1
- is fined 20 shillings or 48 hours imprisonment for being drunk and disorderly, Star (Ballarat, Vic), 10 October 1864, p 1
- will be given a nightman's license if the necessary bond is given, Ballarat Star (Vic), 25 April 1865, p 2
- is charged with wilfully destroying toys in a shop; case is dismissed as the prosecutrix failed to appear, Ballarat Star (Vic), 5 February 1867, p 4
- is fined 20 shillings plus costs for using abusive language towards Mrs Willoughby, the landlady of the Golden Fleece hotel, Ballarat Star (Vic), 14 February 1867, p 3
- is fined 5 pds plus 5 shillings costs for dumping two loads of night soil into an old quarry; Upjohn says he will instead serve the alternative of one month's imprisonment, Ballarat Star (Vic), 16 April 1869, p 3
- is charged with attempting to poison a horse, Argus (Melbourne), 1 August 1870, p 6
- the charge is withdrawn, Ballarat Courier (Vic), 2 August 1870, p 2, column 3
- is fined 20 shillings for depositing offensive matter upon private property, Ballarat Star (Vic), 23 November 1870, p 4
- is fined 20 pds for working illegally as a nightman; if he defaults payment he will be sent to prison for three months, Ballarat Star (Vic), 23 November 1870, p 2, column 1
- is sentenced to 12 months gaol for breaking into a fowl yard and slaughtering 13 chicken; sentence is to be served at Ballarat Gaol, Ballarat Star (Vic), 29 April 1880, p 2, column 2
- expresses a wish to become the hangman at Melbourne Gaol, Herald (Melbourne), 2 July 1880, p 2, column 2
- Upjohn at one time worked as a 'quack' doctor, Ballarat Star (Vic), 12 November 1880, p 2
- executes Ned Kelly, Kilmore Free Press (Vic), 18 November 1880, p 4
- interview, Herald (Melbourne), 28 February 1882, p 3
- has been making himself obnoxious to residents of Coburg, Herald (Melbourne), 5 July 1882, p 2, column 2
- editorial arguing that they should appoint a less outrageous hangman, Herald (Melbourne), 28 September 1882, p 3
- is charged with wilfully and obscenely exposing himself; is sent to prison for three months, Argus (Melbourne), 29 September 1882, p 10
- so far he has only hanged Ned Kelly, Herald (Melbourne), 16 December 1882, p 2
- is released from Melbourne Gaol, Mount Alexander Mail (Vic), 28 December 1882, p 3
- has resumed his practice of a quack doctor, Evening News (Sydney), 8 June 1883, p 3
- is still working as a flogger, Argus (Melbourne), 21 February 1884, p 5
- is assaulted in the street, Argus (Melbourne), 5 April 1884, p 10
- flogs three prisoners at Pentridge, South Australian Register, 11 April 1884, p 5
- 'The Panmure Murder', Argus (Melbourne), 6 June 1884, p 6
- 'Execution of Hawthorn', South Australian Register, 22 August 1884, p 5
- is suspended as hangman, North Australian (Darwin), 3 October 1884, p 5
- turns up at the Salvation Army as a penitent, Maitland Mercury, 25 November 1884, p 5
- is in fear for his life, Portland Guardian (Vic), 27 January 1885, p 2
- is arrested on a charge of vagrancy, Argus (Melbourne), 2 February 1885, p 8
- sleeps out at night behind Melbourne Gaol as he cannot find work; is sentenced to a month's gaol, Wagga Wagga Advertiser (NSW), 24 February 1885, p 2
- is sent to Sydney as there have been threats to his life, Illustrated Sydney News, 4 July 1885, p 22
- 'Old History', Portland Guardian (Vic), 20 July 1939, p 2
Related Entries in NCB Sites
- Upjohn, Elijah
- Upjohn, Henry (father)
- Kelly, Edward (executed)
Citation details
'Upjohn, Elijah (1822–1885)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/upjohn-elijah-13583/text24312, accessed 7 May 2025.
Life Summary [details]
Birth
1822
Shaftesbury,
Dorset,
England
Death
28 September,
1885
(aged ~ 63)
Bourke,
New South Wales,
Australia
Cause of Death
Cultural Heritage
Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.