Bio 

Thomas Jefferies was born around 1791 in Britain. Australian biographical records state that he was convicted of burglary at Nottingham, England, on July 29, 1819, and sentenced to transportation for life. He arrived in New South Wales aboard the Prince Regent in January 1820.

After transportation, Jefferies was eventually sent to Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania. He became known as a violent convict and later as one of the colony’s most feared bushrangers. Some secondary accounts describe him as having worked as a scourger or executioner, but those details should be treated cautiously unless supported by primary records.

By the mid-1820s, Jefferies was in custody in Launceston. In December 1825, he escaped from the Launceston watch-house with other convicts. After the escape, he and his companions began a violent series of robberies, abductions, and murders across northern Van Diemen’s Land.

Murder Story

After escaping custody in December 1825, Thomas Jefferies and his accomplices began robbing settlers’ homes near Launceston. One of the most serious attacks occurred at the home of a settler named Tibbs. Jefferies and his companions attempted to bind the people inside the house. During the attack, a male servant named Basham was shot and killed, while Mr. Tibbs was badly wounded but survived. Mrs. Tibbs and her five-month-old baby were abducted.

During the abduction, the infant was taken from Mrs. Tibbs and killed. Colonial court reporting later stated that the child was killed by Jefferies and Russell, and that the remains were discovered about a week later in a decayed state. Jefferies and John Perry were later convicted for the murder of the child.

Jefferies was also tried for the murder of Constable Magnus Bakie, also recorded as Baker, from George Town. Court reporting stated that Bakie was shot through the head while traveling through the woods with Jefferies and Perry.

Accounts also state that Jefferies and his companions killed one of their own party, Edward Russell, and that cannibalism occurred during their flight through the bush. Because some details come from colonial reporting and later historical summaries, the cannibalism allegation should be included carefully as a reported and widely repeated part of the case.

Jefferies was captured on January 22, 1826. He was later tried in Hobart and convicted of several crimes, including murder. On April 29, 1826, he and other condemned prisoners received death sentences. On May 4, 1826, Thomas Jefferies was hanged at Hobart Town Gaol alongside Matthew Brady and others.