Mark Jefferies

Mark Jefferies
Background information
Died	4 May 1826(1826-05-04)
Cause of death	Execution
Killings
Number of victims:	4+
Country	Australia
State(s)	Tasmania
Date apprehended	1825

Mark Jefferies (also spelled Mark Jeffries) was a bushranger, serial killer and cannibal in the early 19th century in Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania, Australia). Jefferies was transported as a convict from Scotland, and had there been granted a reprieve from death as he was willing to act as an executioner and scourger. Transferred to Van Diemen's Land, trained in acts of cruelty, he took to the bush, and a terrible story of crime ensued until he was finally captured and executed. The escape and subsequent cannibalistic activities have been portrayed in the movie "Van Diemen's Land".

Crimes

For a brief period Jefferies ran with Matthew Brady's gang, but was expelled by Brady for being "a de-humanised monster" and molesting women. Jefferies was known to have murdered and eaten at least four adults during his escape from Macquarie Harbour by land. In his escape he took some accomplices along with him, at least one of whom he later ate. Jefferies is remembered to this day for the sheer brutality and barbarity of his crimes. On one particularly horrific occasion after attacking a homestead, Jefferies kidnapped the mother and father of a five month old baby. Jefferies urged the woman to move along quickly and refused to allow her husband to carry the baby. The baby started crying and this so annoyed Jefferies in his cantankerous murderous state that he seized the child by its legs and smashed its head against a tree. With a cry of desperate rage the baby's father, unarmed, made a rush at Jefferies and was shot dead.

Death

Mark Jefferies was captured in 1825 without a fight. When he was brought to Launceston the population turned out to lynch Jefferies. Safely in jail, he willingly told the Cops all he knew of the locations, movements and habits of other bushrangers. When Matthew Brady heard about this he had to be argued out of leading his gang in a frontal assault on the Launceston lockup, freeing all the prisoners, dragging Jefferies out and flogging him to death. Jefferies was hanged on 4 May 1826 at the old Hobart Jail alongside Brady on the infamous six-man scaffold. Brady complained about being executed in such poor company.

Infamy

Jefferies is one of only six people in Australian history to have successfully escaped from Macquarie Harbour. He ranks alongside Alexander Pierce and Mad Dog Morgan as one of the most infamous criminals in Australia's colonial history.

References

• Prior, Tom; Bill Wannan, and H. Nunn (1970). A Pictorial History of Bushrangers. Dee Why West, N.S.W.: Hamlyn. 
• Hudson Fysh, William (1973). Henry Reed: Van Diemen's land pioneer. Cat & Fiddle Press. 
• McQueen, Humphrey (2004). A new Britannia. St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press. 

Persondata
Name	Jefferies, Mark
Alternative names
Short description	Serial killer
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	4 May 1826
Place of death