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A history of the three |
With special thanks to John Grainger for providing this article.
Nuns Green ran alongside and to the north of the superbly
maintained Friar Gate, one side of which has today virtually avoided the
ravages of time. Within just over half a mile, three of
As Friar Gate rapidly became ‘the’ place to live while
visiting
At number 44 lived a surgeon whom, it was alleged, practised
his skills on hanged criminals and to this day footsteps can be heard on the
top floor and, mysteriously, a cat, which is seen to walk towards a room with
no outlet but cannot be seen inside.
In 1886 Vernon Street Gaol was renamed HMP Derby and lasted
until 1919 when demolition of most of the building took place. Until 1929 the
remaining part of the prison was used as a military prison and by 1930 the area
behind the frontage had been converted into a greyhound stadium which lasted
until the 7th of December 1988. Today the site contains offices and apartment
buildings, the magnificent frontage remaining with the words VERNON GATE worked
into the brickwork above the archway.
The most famous of Derby executions were those of the ‘Pentrich Martyrs’, who, led by Jeremiah Brandreth,
had attempted a badly planned revolution against the Tory government which,
amongst other aims, was to ‘release the national debt’. The government at the
time were waiting for such an incident in order to make an example of
participants as riots, uprisings and revolutions were becoming too popular for
the downtrodden and easily led proletariat. The military had rounded up the
remnants of a disbanded march on Nottingham which had started on 9 June 1817
and 35 men were consequently tried in
None of those transported ever came back to England but
George Weightman, who accompanied the three condemned
on their way to the gallows before being transported, whose brother was
sentenced to one year in prison and had two cousins involved, died in Kiama, New South Wales in 1865 aged 68 and is commemorated
in a plaque, presented to the Kiama Family History
Centre by his great, great, great grandson, Paul Weightman
and four other descendants, in 2001.
These executions are remembered as being the last time an
axe was used in an official execution. They paid the ultimate price on the 7th
of November 1817 at Friar Gate Gaol, a gallows being built at the front of the
prison in Friar Gate on the same morning. Having emerged from the chapel each
of the condemned placed themselves on the one hurdle and were driven
individually along the prison passage, Brandreth
asking if he could take another turn back along the passage, but was refused.
Now all standing at the foot of the gallows on Friar Gate, they could not help
but notice the bench and block on which the last part of their sentence was to
be carried out.
Three nooses were placed over the beam as ordered and Brandreth came up first, but the noose was too high to
reach him so a hasty adjustment was made and the noose tightened, with the knot
placed behind the left ear. Turner went up next followed by Ludlam
and with the noosing completed the chaplain read separate prayers with the men,
then they all joined him in the Lord’s Prayer, after which the chaplain took
his leave. The two executioners pulled the hoods over the men’s’ faces when the
prisoners exclaimed, “Into thy hands, O God! I commit my spirit.” They
continued to call on their Creator and Redeemer for mercy and Ludlam was once more giving utterance to the last part of
the prayer when the trap dropped at 12:45pm. They were left hanging for 30
minutes then cut down, Brandreth’s body was laid on
the block with the face downwards and the head pointing towards the street, in
full view of the crowd. The masses watched in horror as the head was cut off by
the axe and the executioner held it up by the hair and shouted: ‘Behold the
head of Jeremiah Brandreth, the Traitor!’ The heads
of Turner and Ludlam were exhibited in the same way.
The heads and bodies were then thrown into the coffins and interred at dusk in
St. Werburgh’s Church Yard, number 1 Friar Gate,
Dates of first and
last executions.
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Old place of execution |
Derby Gaol (Friar Gate) |
Derby Gaol ( |
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First |
10/04/1812 |
First |
12/04/1833 |
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Last used 03/04/1807 |
Last |
08/04/1825 |
Last |
11/04/1862 |
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Derby Gaol ( |
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First |
04/08/1873 |
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Last |
16/07/1907 |
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Photos.
Click here to see
Friar Gate Gaol today.
Here
is the Broadside for Brandreth, Turner and Ludlam.
Click here to see
Vernon Street Gaol in 2010, although
A woodcut
of a public hanging atop the gatehouse of
Nun’s Green.
(48 executions)
On Friday,
the 15th of August 1735, John Smith hanged for breaking into the house of Mr
Bowyer of Roston and stealing a silver cup.
Richard
Woodward was hanged on Thursday, the 30th of March 1738 for highway robbery.
On
Wednesday, the 9th of April 1740, William Dolphin, age 33, was executed for the
highway robbery of a Mr Lord near
George Ashmore was hanged for counterfeiting on Friday, the 29th
of August 1740.
William
Elliott was hanged for privately stealing on Friday, the 10th of April 1741.
On Friday,
the 7th of August 1741 Robert Bowler suffered for shooting at Edward Rivington on the highway between Belper
and Pentrich
Mary Dilke was hanged on Saturday, the 23rd of March 1754 for
the murder of her bastard on the 1st of January 1754.
Ann
Williamson was executed on Friday, the 1st of August 1755 for picking the
pocket of George White of 6 guineas and a Portuguese gold coin (valued at 36/-)
at Ashbourne Fair.
John Ratcliffe was hanged on Friday the 2nd of April 1756 for
stealing a horse.
Thomas Hulley was hanged for being at large in the Kingdom (i.e.
returning from transportation) on Friday the 29th of April 1757.
Charles Kirkman was hanged for murder of his bastard child on
Saturday the 24th of March 1759 and dissected in accordance with Murder Act of
1752.
James Perry
and Amos Mason were hanged on Friday the 12th of August 1763 for highway
robbery of a Mr. Staveley.
John Lowe
was hanged for house breaking on Wednesday the 20th of April 1768.
Charles Pleasants was hanged for forgery on Wednesday the 4th of
May 1768.
On Thursday
the 21st of March 1776, Mathew Cocklane was hanged
and gibbeted for the murder of Mary Vickers during the course of a burglary at
her house on Sunday 18th December 1774, when he stole £300 in money and rings.
He was the last person to be gibbeted in
James
Meadows, aged 30, from Handsworth Birmingham was
hanged for highway robbery on Friday the 31st of March 1780. He had robbed
William Featherstone of £40 at
William
Buxton, aged 26, was hanged for highway robbery on Friday the 25th of August
1780. Buxton had been convicted of robbing John Kennedy of 6
On Thursday
March the 28th 1782, James Williams, aged 25, was hanged for stealing a dark
brown gelding (horse) valued at £15.15s, the property of Mr Worthington of
Altrincham.
John Shaw
was hanged on the 2nd of August 1782 for being at large, having broken out of
Derby Jail to avoid transportation.
On
Thursday, the 8th of April 1784 Thomas Greensmith for
executed for a burglary in the premises of Messrs. Rea and Co. watchmakers of
Walton-on-Trent.
William
Rose aged 59 was hanged for horse stealing on Friday the 16th of April 1784.
On Friday,
the 1st of April 1785, William Grooby aged 23 and
George Grooby aged 21 also James Peat alias Peet and Pits were hanged for burglary in the shop of
Samuel Leam of Pentrich.
On Friday,
the 7th of April 1786 John Shepherd, 49 was executed for breaking into the
house of Mr Smith at Sandiacre and stealing
therefrom. With him on the gallows was William Stanley, aged 25, convicted of
breaking into the house of Thomas Parker at Winshill.
James Haliburton was hanged on Saturday, 2 September 1786 for the
rape of Millicent Smith of Biggin.
John Porson was hanged on Monday, the 9th of April 1787 for
picking the pocket of John Johnson of 8 gold guineas and 11 silver shillings.
Thomas
Grundy was hanged and dissected on Saturday the 22nd of March 1788 for
poisoning his brother with arsenic at Dale Abbey in November 1787.
Joseph
Allen was hanged for shop breaking on Friday the 12th of August 1790, for
stealing 2 silver candlesticks from the premises of Thomas Barker of
On Friday
the 1st of April 1791 William Rider was executed for the rape of Mary Barton
near Mackeney toll bar and robbing her of 3 pence.
James
Murray, aged 35, was hanged for house breaking on Friday the 4th of April 1794.
He had broken into the house of Mr Farnworth at
Thomas Nevill was hanged on Friday, the 10th of April 1795 for the
highway robbery of John Morley on the 2nd of January 1795; robbing him of 14½
gold guineas and some silver.
James
Preston (70) was executed on Thursday, the 17th of March 1796 for the murder of
Susannah Moreton’s bastard. Susannah Moreton
was also condemned for this murder, but was reprieved.
On Friday,
the 5th of September 1800, Thomas Knowles was executed for uttering a forged
guinea note with intent to defraud.
Friday, the
14th of August 1801 saw a quintuple hanging when John Dent (47) suffered for
the theft of two cows, the property of Mr Creswell of Ravenstone,
John Evans (22) for stealing two sack fulls of oats
from a barn, Lacy Powell and John Drummond (23 & 26) for a highway robbery,
and James Gration (25) for a burglary in the house of
Philip Yeomans of Shuttle in March 1801; stealing
therefrom 8 gold guineas, 7 shillings and other goods.
A double
hanging was carried out on Friday, the 27th of August 1802 when James Mellor
(22) was hanged for the theft of a pony, the property of Mrs Taylor of Wirkstone and Thomas Spencer (31) suffered for a burglary
in the house of Mr Flint of Biggin.
On
Saturday, the 19th of March 1803, William Wells was executed for the murder of
George Bingham at Barlborough His body was afterwards
dissected in the Shire Hall in St. Marys Gate.
Richard
Booth (40) and John Parker were hanged on Friday, the 6th of April 1804 for the
theft of 2 black horses, the property of Mr. Bayliss
of Rothwood.
William
Webster aged 34 was hanged and dissected on Friday the 20th of March 1807 He
had been convicted of the poisoning deaths of Thomas Dakin, Elizabeth Dakin and
Mary Roe.
Joseph
West, age 29, became the last person to be hanged at Nuns Green when he
suffered for forgery on the 3rd of April 1807.
Friargate Gaol. (18 executions)
On the 10th
of April 1812 James Tomlinson aged 27 and Percival Cook aged 26 became the
first to be hanged on the New Drop in front of the
Paul Mason,
aged 34, Richard Hibbert aged 24 and Peter Henshaw aged 40, were hanged for burglary on the 9th of
April 1813.
21 year old
Anthony Lingard was hanged and gibbeted for the
murder of Hannah Oliver, who was keeper of the Turnpike Gate at Wardlow Miers. The execution took
place on the 28th of March 1815.
Joseph Wheeldon, aged 27, was executed and afterwards dissected on
the 9th of August 1816 for the murders of his niece, Mary Ann Wheeldon and nephew, Isaac Wheeldon.
John Brown,
age 38, Thomas Jackson, age 20, George Boothe, age
21, and John King, age 24, were hanged on Friday the 15th of August 1817 for
arson, having been convicted of setting fire to hay and corn stacks at South Wingfield.
On the 7th
of November 1817, Jeremiah Brandreth, William Turner
and Isaac Ludlam, who became known as “The Pentrich Martyers” were hanged
and beheaded for high treason. The
disembowelling and quartering part of the sentence being remitted.
Thomas
Hopkinson aged 20 was hanged on the 2nd of April 1819 for the highway robbery
of William Bucknall near Dronfield.
On the 22nd
of March 1819, 16 year old Hannah Bocking was hanged
and afterwards dissected for poisoning Jane Grant at Wardlow
Miers in sight of the gibbet of Anthony Lingard. Click here for details
of her case
Hannah
Halley of
On the 8th
of April 1825 George Batty, aged 40, became the last person to be hanged at the
Friargate Gaol when he was put to death for the rape
of Martha Hawkesley, age 16, in the parish of Beauchief.
On the 12th
of April 1833, 20 year old John Leedham from Ashbourne became to the first to be hanged at Vernon Street
Gaol, for bestiality with a sheep
At midday
on Friday the 31st of March 1843, John Hulme, age 24,
Samuel Bonsell, age 26, & William Bland, age 39,
were hanged together by Samuel Haywood for the murder of Miss Martha Goddard in
the
22 year old
John Platts was hanged by Samuel Haywood on Thursday
the 1st of April 1847 atop of the gatehouse of the county gaol for the murder
of George Collis at
On Friday
the 26th of March 1852, 49 year old Anthony Turner was hanged by William
Calcraft for the murder of his employer, Mrs. Phoebe Barnes at Belper. She had written to him dismissing him from the post
of her rent collector. In an intoxicated
state he stole a carving knife from a grocer’s shop and broke into her house
slit her throat. An estimated 15-20,000
people witnessed the execution.
At noon on
the 16th of August 1861, 20 year old George Smith was hanged by Calcraft for
the murder of his father by shooting at Ilkeston on the 1st of May.
Richard
Thorley, aged 35, was hanged by Calcraft at midday on Friday the 11th of April
1862 for cutting the throat of Eliza Morrow at
The 4th of
August 1873 saw
28 year old
John Wakefield was hanged by Marwood on the 16th of August 1880 for the murder
of 9 year old Elizabeth Wilkinson. She
had called at his house in
Albert
Robinson, age 20, was executed by Marwood on the 28th of February 1881 for the
murder of his wife at Hadfield near Glossop.
The two had quarrelled and he had stabbed in the neck.
On the 21st
of November 1881, 34 year old Alfred Gough was hanged by Marwood for the rape
and strangulation of 6 year old Eleanor Windle in a
lane at Brimington near
31 year old
Arthur Delaney was hanged on Friday, the 10th of August 1888 for the murder of
his wife at
George
Horton, aged 37, was hanged by
21 year old
William Pugh was executed by James Billington on Wednesday the 5th of August
1896 for the murder of 20 year old Elizabeth Boot at Brackenfield
on the 9th of May 1896. She was hacked to death with a bill hook in the barn of
the farm she was a servant at. A new
gallows had been built for this hanging, housed in a purpose built brick
building in a different position to the previous wooden shed used at
John Cotton
was a 66 year old boatman who had beaten his wife, 30 years his junior, to
death with a poker at
On Wednesday
the 30th of July 1902, William Billington hanged 41 year old John Bedford for
the murder of his girlfriend, 48 year old Nancy Price at Sutton-cum-Duckmanton on the 25th of June of that year.
30 year old
John Silk was hanged by Henry Pierrepoint on Friday the 29th of December 1905
for the murder of his mother, 51 year old Mary Fallon at
On the
evening of 5 August 1905, the 30-year-old ex-soldier was seen drunk near his
home, swearing there would be a murder that night. When his mother asked him to
fetch her half a bottle of whisky, he refused, stormed off and resumed
drinking. When he returned at 11.15 his
mother’s lodger, Thomas Meakin, had come home. The
lodger would later testify that Silk was spoiling for an argument. He
complained about a lamp in the room being in the wrong position and struck his
mother when she went to move it. The lamp overturned, leaving the room in
darkness and Meakin went to fetch a policeman. As he
left he heard glass breaking, and on his return – having failed to find a
constable – he found he had been locked out for the night.
The door
was no longer bolted the next morning, however, when a newsvendor called and
found Mary Fallon lying dead on the floor, the leg of a broken chair and a
broken crutch beside her. They had been used to beat her about the head, and
when police were called to the scene they found Silk asleep in bed.
An autopsy
revealed that in addition to her head injuries Mary Fallon had also suffered
four broken ribs. Charged with her murder, Silk pleaded at his trial that he’d
been too drunk to know what he was doing. But that was no excuse, the judge
instructed the jury. They found John Silk guilty and, on 29 December 1905, he
was hanged at
Walter
Marsh, 39, was hanged by Henry Pierrepoint on Thursday the 27th of December 1906
for cutting the throat of his 22 year old wife, Eliza. This was the culmination of a series of
quarrels and assaults between them.
A further
four Derbyshire executions were carried out at Nottingham between 1922 and
1928, and thereafter at Winson Green in
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