Period hanging methods?

[Swashbuckler 1700]

I was wondering how people were hang in 1600s and in 1700s.

I am not going to hang anyone but I was wondering....

I have found mainly period pics with carriages but what about other ways...

[RIPP Tar]

I have read some that say on ships often the rope was sent over the yard, on end had a noose which was placed around the neck, the other end was given to a number of sailor who would the haul up the condemned. this basically would slowly strangle the victim.

[Grymm]

The cart journey was a common thing for big cities certainly, some took a winding route stopping at pubs for gin or porter for the 'star' of the show.

To stop the agony of a long strangulation some would leap from the cart or ladder in an effort to snap their neck and on other occasions a number of friends would grab onto and swing from the ....victim (is the wrong word but it'll have to do) to speed up death.

Account of Turpin's journey in Yorl '39 (Nasty wee bugger he was)

he was taken from the York castle's condemned cell and driven in a horse drawn cart through the imposing gateway of the castle and along Castlegate. Crowds would line the route as they made their way over Ouse Bridge, the only road bridge across the river at that time. Along Ousegate and continuing up the steep slope of Micklegate, they would have driven through Micklegate bar and onto Blossom Street, The Mount, and finally to the Knavesmire, the site of the gallows.......... He carried himself with much dignity to the last and, after speaking a few words, he turned and threw himself from the ladder and died after a few minutes.

In '24 Sheppard's procession halted at the City of Oxford tavern on Oxford Street, where Sheppard drank a pint of sack.

More Hogarth, an etching from Industry and Idleness

The Idle 'Prentice Executed at Tyburn

[Swashbuckler 1700]

The cart journey was a common thing for big cities certainly, some took a winding route stopping at pubs for gin or porter for the 'star' of the show.

To stop the agony of a long strangulation some would leap from the cart or ladder in an effort to snap their neck and on other occasions a number of friends would grab onto and swing from the ....victim (is the wrong word but it'll have to do) to speed up death.

Account of Turpin's journey in Yorl '39 (Nasty wee bugger he was)

he was taken from the York castle's condemned cell and driven in a horse drawn cart through the imposing gateway of the castle and along Castlegate. Crowds would line the route as they made their way over Ouse Bridge, the only road bridge across the river at that time. Along Ousegate and continuing up the steep slope of Micklegate, they would have driven through Micklegate bar and onto Blossom Street, The Mount, and finally to the Knavesmire, the site of the gallows.......... He carried himself with much dignity to the last and, after speaking a few words, he turned and threw himself from the ladder and died after a few minutes.

In '24 Sheppard's procession halted at the City of Oxford tavern on Oxford Street, where Sheppard drank a pint of sack.

More Hogarth, an etching from Industry and Idleness

The Idle 'Prentice Executed at Tyburn

Man With the crutches and scarf LOOKS LIKE stereotypical PIRATE ( joke.... laugh! ) please add that to " Aye the kerchief" tread it would be nice addition there.

Lovely skeletons there

oh there is another man with bandana....

Odd that there is a coffin? I would have think that criminals would not have kind of "luxury".....

Edited April 18, 2012 by Swashbuckler 1700

[oderlesseye]

hangin is hangin !

Edited April 19, 2012 by oderlesseye

[Mission]

More Hogarth, an etching from Industry and Idleness

The Idle 'Prentice Executed at Tyburn

So why is the guy in the lower right hand corner selling fruit? Is it for eating or throwing? (Just curious.)

[Jib]

Images of the famous "Tyburn Tree". Very nice!

[Capt. Sterling]

More Hogarth, an etching from Industry and Idleness

The Idle 'Prentice Executed at Tyburn

So why is the guy in the lower right hand corner selling fruit? Is it for eating or throwing? (Just curious.)

Actually could be both, but odds are for eating, unless oranges at the time were a relatively inexpensive item. If ye really wanted to throw something, ye could most likely find something dirt cheap on the ground. Hangings were big affairs, quite the "holiday" atmosphere, so one could imagine folks taking the opportunity to sell to the crowds.

[Tar Bucket Bill]

WARNING: If you are easily offended by graphic descriptions of death and dying or squeamish, please do not read this!

If I recall correctly, Captain Kidd was carted to the gallows which was placed between the tides on the Thames, because between the tides was within the perview of the Admiralty Court for crimes on the ocean. They often stopped and let him drink alcohol on the way from the prison to the gallows, so he became quite drunk. It was a journey across part of London. When they reached the gallows at Execution Dock in Wapping on the Thames he was then placed upon a collapsible platform with others to be hanged and the rope placed around his neck, his hands tied probably to the front, but the feet not tied.Sometimes a white hood was placed over the head. The executioner then collapsed the platform, thus letting the condemned dangle and do the "hempen jig". The feet and legs, being not tied, would often kick about in this "hempen jig" to the delight of the public. Kidd's rope broke and he fell to the ground. They raised a ladder to the gallows and forced him to climb the ladder and then "turned him off" the ladder to let him dangle and expire to complete the execution. It could often take 15 or 2o minutes for someone to strangle to death this way. Tongues bitten and blood streaming from mouths. Cheers would be raised when a wet spot formed at the crotch of the executed upon death. They would be left to hang about half an hour. Sometimes taken down and tied to a post to let three tides wash over the body. About a day and half? And then, if they were pirates, they would often be consigned an unknown, unconsecrated grave. Or in Captain Kidd's case, they slathered him with pitch or tar, encased him in a gibbet cage and hanged him from a gibbet at a place near Tilbury Fort several miles upstream for maybe about 3 years. Poor buggers executed for treason often had it much worse though. Execution for treason often entailed drawing, hanging and quartering.

There. I TOLD you not to read it.

Tar Bucket Bill

Edited April 20, 2012 by Tar Bucket Bill

[Jib]

I seem to remember reading that Guy Fawkes was sentenced to be drawn and quartered after being hung (but not until dead). While he was being turned off the ladder he leapt and broke his neck in the noose, thus denying the public the show they had hoped for.

[Capn Bob]

I have heard that, in some cases, after the miscreant had...dangled...a bit, his friends were permitted to pull down on his legs to shorten his sufferings. A good period source for hangings is the Newgate Calender. You can find some selected stories here...

http://www.ryerson.c...ff/newgate.html

and you can download the entirei Calender to read at your leisure here... http://www.exclassic...ate/ngintro.htm

Capn Bob tastelessly sings: "He's swinging in the rain...just swinging in the rain..."

Edited April 21, 2012 by Capn Bob

[Grymm]

Downloads of selected sections from it about Pirates and nautical crimes here http://www.exclassic...ate/ngcontf.htm

And this site has a few refs too, http://www.executedtoday.com/ look on the right and in the categories box pull up 17th or 18thC, it also has a bit for pirates http://www.executedtoday.com/category/who/pirates/

Edited April 22, 2012 by Grymm

[Fox]

Not strictly on-topic, but this amused me. It was customary for a number of newspaper to print summaries of the births and deaths that occurred, and this one made me chuckle:

"Drowned accidentally in the River of Thames, 3

Executed, 3 [all pirates]

Kill'd, 2

Overlaid, 1

Press'd to death by the Crowd of People, at the Execution of the Pirates, 1"

From Parker's Penny Post, 18 June, 1725.

[Mission]

Not strictly on-topic, but this amused me. It was customary for a number of newspaper to print summaries of the births and deaths that occurred, and this one made me chuckle:

"Drowned accidentally in the River of Thames, 3

Executed, 3 [all pirates]

Kill'd, 2

Overlaid, 1

Press'd to death by the Crowd of People, at the Execution of the Pirates, 1"

From Parker's Penny Post, 18 June, 1725.

So if all these were from the hanging, the pirates actually sort of won based on the death count.

I wonder what 'Overlaid' means?

[Fox]

No, only the executions and the person crushed to death are from the hanging, the others are just 'accidental' deaths also recorded in the same paper. I believe 'overlaid' is knocked down by a horse or wagon.

[Swashbuckler 1700]

Not strictly on-topic, but this amused me. It was customary for a number of newspaper to print summaries of the births and deaths that occurred, and this one made me chuckle:

"Drowned accidentally in the River of Thames, 3

Executed, 3 [all pirates]

Kill'd, 2

Overlaid, 1

Press'd to death by the Crowd of People, at the Execution of the Pirates, 1"

From Parker's Penny Post, 18 June, 1725.

At least Cordingly was right when he said that "The pirate Execution was a public spectacle".

Really interesting and it seems that there were still pirates to be killed in 1725.

[Capt. Sterling]

Honestly it appears that most, hangings, pirate or not, as well as other styles of execution, were quite the event...

[Fox]

William Fly and his company were hanged in 1726, and John Upton went to the gallows in 1728 eating a biscuit. And there was a pirate crew hanged in Williamsburg VA in 1729. There were also lots of pirate executions outside the GAoP If memory serves a bunch of people were hanged for piracy in London in the 1730s too.

[William Brand]

...John Upton went to the gallows in 1728 eating a biscuit.

There is a pragmatism and casual defiance in that act that makes me smile. He didn't blubber or beg. He went to the gallows eatin' a biscuit.

[oderlesseye]

Copyright

From the book "Pirates of Colonial North Carolina" By Hugh F Rankin

Edited May 4, 2012 by oderlesseye