Download or read book Britain s Most Notorious Hangmen written by Stephen Wade and published by Wharncliffe. This book was released on 2009-07-16 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A breathtaking history of Britain’s executioners—from the seventeenth court of King Charles II to the UK’s last official hangman of the twentieth century. In 1663, Jack Ketch delighted in his profession and gained notoriety not only because of those he executed—dukes and lords—but for how often he botched the job. Centuries later, in 1965, after nearly six hundred trips to the gallows, Albert Pierrepoint retired as Britain’s longest-running executioner. Between them are three hundred years in a fascinating history of crime, and the “turn-off men” who handled the penalties—many of them criminals themselves, doing the grim work to save their own necks. Britain’s Most Notorious Hangmen tells the stories of the men who plied their deadly trade at Tyburn tree or at the scaffolds in the prison yards across the country, including such notable “neck-stretchers” as Throttler Smith and the celebrated James Billington. But true-crime historian Stephen Wade explores the lives and crimes of many of the infamous killers that were hanged, as well. He also sheds light on the changing social norms of the country, and the moral dilemmas that arose for hangmen tasked with performing what was once considered the most crowd-pleasing free “entertainment” ever offered to the public.

Download or read book A Date with the Hangman written by Gary Dobbs and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2020-02-19 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A true-crime history of 20th-century, British judicial hangings from 1900 to 1964, and a look at the overall history of executions in Great Britain. It is a sobering thought that until the closing years of the twentieth century, Britain’s courts were technically able to impose the death penalty for several offenses, both civil and military. Although the last judicial hangings took place in 1964, the death penalty, in theory at least, remained for a number of crimes. During the twentieth century, 865 people were executed in Britain. This book examines each and every one of those executions, and in many cases highlights the crimes that brought these men and women to the gallows. The book also details the various forms of capital punishment used throughout British history. During past centuries people were burned at the stake, had the skin flayed from their bodies, were beheaded, garroted, hung, drawn and quartered, stoned, disemboweled, buried alive—and all under the guidance of a vengeful law, or at least what passed for law at any given period. The author, Gary M. Dobbs, has painstakingly collected together every available piece of evidence to provide as clear a picture as possible of a time when the law operated on the principle of an eye for an eye. Dobbs is a true-crime historian and has spent many hours researching the cases featured herein to bring the reader a definitive history of judicial punishment during the twentieth century, and this carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to anyone interested in the darker side of history. “A brilliant read.” —Books Monthly (UK)

Download or read book Pierrepoint a Family of Executioners written by Steve Fielding and published by Blake Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fornbsp;55 years, generations of the Pierrepoint family served as fearsome hangmen in England. The dynasty began in 1901 with Henry Pierrepoint,nbsp;whonbsp;was followed into the gruesome profession by his brother Thomas, and in time, his eldest son Albert. Between them, they carried out an amazing 900 executions. This book recounts the lives and tales of the Pierrepoint family, their reasons for taking up the profession, and the inside details of the execution cases and the deeds themselves. Insight is shed on the feuds and intense rivalry between fellow hangmen, as well as the notorious cases that kept the family firmly in the spotlight. With extracts from diaries and comments on the family's representation in the media, this book provides a fascinating look at a profession that is long gone, but certainly not forgotten.

Download or read book Execution State and Society in England 1660 1900 written by Simon Devereaux and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-10-26 with total page 411 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book charts the history of execution laws and practices in the era of the 'Bloody Code' and their extraordinary transformation by 1900. Innovative and comprehensive, this work will find an audience with scholars interested in the history of crime and punishment in England.

Download or read book Haunted Hull written by Mark Riley and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2012-01-31 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The bustling city of Hull has a long and distinguished history, but the area also harbours some disturbing secrets. Discover the darker side of Hull with this terrifying collection of spine-chilling tales from around the city. From poltergeists and phantoms to the mysterious stories of the floating vicar, Little Emily and Old Mother Riley, this book includes many pulse-raising narratives that are guaranteed to make you blood run cold. Illustrated with over sixty pictures Haunted Hull will delight everyone interested in the paranormal.

Download or read book Behind Bars Britain s Most Notorious Prisoner Reveals What Life is Like Inside written by Charles Bronson and published by Kings Road Publishing. This book was released on 2007-02-28 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charlie has taken his 24 years of experience of prison dwelling and condensed it into one handy and comprehensive volume. Moved regularly around the prisons of the British Isles he has sampled all that prison life has to offer, taking in both the historic and pre-historic buildings that comprise Britain's infamous prison system. It's all in here from the correct way to brew vintage prison 'hooch' and how to keep the screws from finding it, to the indispensable culinary methods required to make prison food edible. Read about Charlie's special taming techniques for prison wildlife such as spiders, rats and cockroaches, creatures that may be your only friends on long stretches in solitary. Also Charlie shows how to plan and prepare for marriage inside what can be seen as a less than romantic setting. With over 70,000 people (and rising) currently residing at Her Majesty's pleasure, Charlie Bronson's "Good Prison Guide" is essential for young offenders and 'old lags' alike. Make sure you don't get nicked without it.

Download or read book The Hangman s Tale written by Syd Dernley and published by Trans-Atlantic Publications. This book was released on 1990 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Deadly Derbyshire written by Scott Lomax and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2012-09-20 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of historical British true crime stories, with illustrations included. From the murder of Hannah Hewitt in 1732 to John Cotton’s killing in 1898, Deadly Derbyshire gathers dramatic, atmospheric true tales of murder and manslaughter in this county in England’s East Midlands. Read about the “fiery” circumstances of the death of John McMorrow; a farm tragedy at Stoney Houghton; and killings for pittances such as three eggs and a sixpence. You’ll also discover stories of unprovoked and wicked deeds and numerous suspicious deaths. Based on extensive research of newspaper archives, uncovering a large number of cases never previously explored, this compendium examines the darker side of this historical port city.

Download or read book Unsolved Murders in South Yorkshire written by Scott Lomax and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2013-05-02 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whilst the passage of time can and has uncovered many secrets, killers could get away with their crimes in 1596 when Shakespeare penned these words and this is certainly the case in more recent times as Unsolved Murders in South Yorkshire clearly demonstrate.The early chapters include cases of historic interest where killers certainly went to the grave in the knowledge they had got away with murder. Cases include suspicious deaths which left detectives in South Yorkshire baffled, but which were, it would seem, acts of callous murder which were not recognised as such due to dubious police opinions and practices. There are also cases of clear murder such as a man shot in the head during the Victorian period, whose killer was never identified.The later chapters, however, feature more recent cold cases where there is still the possibility that the wicked men or women who were responsible for such acts of inhumanity may remain within our society.Cases include a man murdered for less than 70 in a city centre multi storey car park, a teenage girl abducted, sexually assaulted and left dead on a dung hill, a young mother who entered prostitution and died at the hands of a man with more than sex on his mind, a pregnant woman who left home one day to go shopping but was found days later dead in a ditch with her throat cut and a disabled woman who was strangled in her home which was then set ablaze.For some of these cases there is the chance that someone has information which, despite the passage of decades, could lead to one or more individuals standing trial for murder. Justice can still prevail.

Download or read book Britain s Most Notorious Prisoners written by Stephen Wade and published by Wharncliffe. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Oscar Wilde to the Kray brothers—a unique history of the lives and crimes of the United Kingdom’s most famous, and infamous, inmates. Their names can chill the blood of true-crime aficionados: Peter Sutcliffe, aka The Yorkshire Ripper; child-torturer Ian Brady; cannibal Dennis Nilsen; serial killer Beverley Allitt. Some are tinged in glamour: beautiful nightclub hostess Ruth Ellis, hanged for a crime of passion. While others hold a bizarre fascination, like bare-knuckle boxer Michael Gordon Peterson. Called “the most violent prisoner in Britain” he changed his name to Charles Bronson in honor of the Death Wish star. Only to change it yet again to Charles Salvador, in honor of his favorite artist, Dali. By any name, the “one-man riot” was a prison superstar. Britain’s Most Notorious Prisoners tells the stories of these lives and many more inside the Big House where prison culture breeds a strange, unreal community. It’s also where the system learns to cope with those who refuse to live by the law of the land: killers and rapists, spies, gangster, hit-men, political prisoners, and serial offenders—as well as some who were egregiously wronged. From headline-makers to long-forgotten villains, these stories make for a thrilling and harrowing look at life, death, and survival behind bars.

Download or read book Playing to the Crowd written by F. Burwick and published by Springer. This book was released on 2011-11-03 with total page 569 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first study of the productions of the minor theatres, how they were adapted to appeal to the local patrons and the audiences who worked and lived in these communities.

Download or read book A Z Of Hangmen And Hangwomen In Britain and Ireland 1800 2023 written by Matthew Spicer and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2024-06-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A-Z Of Hangmen And Hangwomen In Britain and Ireland [1800-2023]" looks at the 169 known executioners in Britain and Ireland after January 1st, 1800 (two of them were female - both in Ireland) .... Note there will be more - certainly from Ireland before c. 1870 and certainly assistants from the early part of the 19th century .... Many of the names of the 169 will not have been heard of before .... There is also a detailed chronological list of dates relating to the death penalty after 1800; plus approximately 5,000 words of references to the executioners from the British Newspaper Archives [BNA] .... finally there is an in depth look at the process for 'modernising' the selection processes for executioners in England & Wales in c. 1890 from a file at The National Archives [TNA], which includes a famous murderer who had applied to become a hangman ....

Download or read book Hitlers Hangmen written by Brian Lett and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-02-01 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before and after the outbreak of the Second World War there were sizeable Fascist groups active in Britain, working to overthrow the British government. Most of the Fascist leaders were interned in 1940 as soon as Churchill came to power, but were freed in the better times of 1944, all the more embittered and just as intent on installing a Fascist government and taking revenge on Churchill. By late 1944 there were hundreds of thousands of German prisoners of war in Britain, many of them in camps brutally dominated by the SS and other Nazi fanatics. When Hitler tried to restore Germany’s position with his massive Battle of the Bulge offensive he gave orders for this to be supported by a break-out from all of the POW camps under Nazi control. Some of the escapers were to head for London to assassinate Churchill, with the help of the British Fascists. It was only by chance that the plot was foiled. This is the incredible, disturbing story of how close British Fascists came to impacting the outcome of the Second World War. It is also a comprehensive investigation of the break-out plot as it unfolded across Britain: how it came to fruition and how it was quashed, its repercussions and the many little-known stories of escape and recapture which took place throughout the country.

Download or read book A History of London s Prisons written by Geoffrey Howse and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2013-01-19 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author of The A-Z of London Murders takes readers behind the bars of the city’s numerous jails and tells the tales of their most infamous inmates. London has had more prisons than any other British city. The City’s “gates” once contained prisons but probably the most notorious of all was Newgate, which stood for over seven hundred years. The eleventh-century Tower of London was used as a prison for a variety of high profile prisoners from Sir Thomas More to the Krays. Discover the background of a variety of historic places of incarceration such as the Clink, the King’s Bench Prison, and debtors’ prisons such as the Fleet Prison and the Marshalsea. “Lost” prisons such as the Gatehouse in Westminster, Millbank Penitentiary, Surrey County Gaol in Horsemonger Lane, the House of Detention, Coldbath Fields Prison, and Tothill Fields Bridewell Prison are also described in detail; as are more familiar jails: Holloway, Pentonville, Brixton, Wandsworth, and Wormwood Scrubs. In A History of London’s Prisons, Geoffrey Howse delves not only into the intricate web of historical facts detailing the origins of the capital’s prisons but also includes fascinating detail concerning the day-to-day life of prisoners—from the highly born to the most despicable human specimens imaginable—as well as those less fortunate individuals who found themselves through no fault of their own “in the clink,” some soon becoming clients of the hangman or executioner.

Download or read book Year of the Hangman written by Gary Blackwood and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2004-02-09 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1776, the rebellion of the American colonies against British rule was crushed. Now, in 1777-the year of the hangman-George Washington is awaiting execution, Benjamin Franklin's banned rebel newspaper, Liberty Tree, has gone underground, and young ne'er-do-well Creighton Brown, a fifteen-year-old Brit, has just arrived in the colonies. Having been shipped off against his will, with nothing but a distance for English authorities, Creighton befriends Franklin, and lands a job with his print shop. But the English general expects the spoiled yet loyal Creighton to spy on Franklin. As battles unfold and falsehoods are exposed, Creighton must decide where his loyalties lie...a choice that could determine the fate of a nation.

Download or read book Execution written by Simon Webb and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2011-12-31 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Judicial hanging is regarded by many as being the quintessentially British execution. However, many other methods of capital punishment have been used in this country; ranging from burning, beheading and shooting to crushing and boiling to death. Execution: A History of Capital Punishment in Britain explores these types of execution in detail. Readers may be surprised to learn that a means of mechanical decapitation, the Halifax Gibbet, was being used in England five hundred years before the guillotine was invented. Boiling to death was a prescribed means of execution in this country during the Tudor period. From the public death by starvation of those gibbeted alive, to the burning of women for petit treason, this book examines some of the most gruesome passages of British history. This carefully researched, well-illustrated and enthralling text will appeal to those interested in the history of British executions.

Download or read book Hangmen written by Martin McDonagh and published by Faber & Faber. This book was released on 2015-10-01 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: I'm just as good as bloody Pierrepoint. In his small pub in Oldham, Harry is something of a local celebrity. But what's the second-best hangman in England to do on the day they've abolished hanging? Amongst the cub reporters and sycophantic pub regulars, dying to hear Harry's reaction to the news, a peculiar stranger lurks, with a very different motive for his visit. Don't worry. I may have my quirks but I'm not an animal. Or am I? One for the courts to discuss. Martin McDonagh's Hangmen premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in September 2015.