This was the ultimate punishment available in English law for men who had been convicted of High Treason. Women were burned at the stake instead—apparently for the sake of decency. The Full Sentence The full sentence passed upon those convicted of High Treason up to 1870 was as follows:“That you be drawn on a hurdle … Read more
Dr. Joseph Ignace Guillotin did not invent the execution machine that bears his name.A similar device known as the Halifax Gibbet had been in use in that Yorkshire town since 1286 and continued until 1650. It was noticed by a Scotsman, James Douglas Earl of Morton, who had one built in Edinburgh in 1556, which became known as the … Read more
The garrotte (or garrote) was the standard civilian method of execution in Spain. It was introduced in 1812/13, at the beginning of the reign of Ferdinand VII, to replace the crude form of hanging previously used. At least 736 people, including 16 women, were executed in Spain in the 19th century. It is not clear … Read more
Overview of Burning at the Stake in England and Wales Burning at the stake in public was used in England & Wales to punish heresy for both sexes and for women convicted of High Treason or Petty Treason. Men who were convicted of high treason were hanged, drawn and quartered but this was not deemed acceptable for women as … Read more
With special thanks to Traugott Vitz for his help with this article. Although large strides were made in the science of hanging, particularly in the last quarter of the 19th century, as noted in the previous article, considerable further developments and progress lay ahead, particularly in the first three decades of the 20th century. All of these … Read more
