George Smith Hangman – The “Dudley Throttler or Higgler”

Although George Smith is not one of England’s best-known hangmen, he assisted William Calcraft at six executions and officiated as principal at 33 public hangings and one private one between 1840 and 1872.

Early Life and First Execution

George Smith was born in Rowley Regis in Staffordshire in 1805. In 1840, he was serving a prison sentence at Stafford Gaol for debt. Calcraft went to Stafford Gaol to conduct the double hanging of James Owen and George Thomas on the 11th of April 1840 for the “Bloody Steps Murder” of Christina Collins at Brindley Bank near Rugeley.

As it was a double execution, Calcraft wanted an assistant. None of the turnkeys, as warders were then known, would volunteer, so the governor asked the prisoners if any of them would, on the promise of early release. Smith volunteered and was deemed successful by the governor, with Owen and Thomas seeming to die almost instantly once the bolt was drawn.

This led to Smith’s appointment for the hanging of 26-year-old Charles Higginson at Stafford on the 26th of August 1843, his first execution as principal. Higginson was a widower who had killed his five-year-old son, William, and buried the body in a copse near Bishop’s Wood in Staffordshire. The portable gallows used at Stafford is clearly visible.

Regular Work and Notable Executions

Initially, it is said that Smith was hired by the Under-Sheriff of Staffordshire to save the cost of bringing Calcraft up from London. He carried out a further 17 hangings at Stafford, including that of Sarah Westwood on the 13th of January 1844.

Smith’s most famous solo execution was that of the “Rugeley Poisoner,” 31-year-old Dr. William Palmer, for the murder of John Parsons Cook. The public hanging took place at Stafford at 8 a.m. on Saturday the 14th of June 1856.

On Thursday the 15th of November 1855, Palmer went to Shrewsbury Races with 28-year-old Cook. Palmer lost all his bets on the day, while Cook won several, netting him a tidy sum. The pair returned to Rugeley and went to the Talbot Arms, where Cook rapidly became ill. He died on the 21st of November, and his stepfather demanded an autopsy, which revealed antimony poisoning.

Palmer was arrested and charged with the murder. Such was the strength of feeling against Palmer locally that it was decided he would not get a fair trial in Staffordshire. By a special act of Parliament (often known as Palmer’s Act), his trial was transferred to the Old Bailey, opening there on the 14th of May 1856 and lasting twelve days before the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Campbell, and Baron Alderson.

This execution attracted huge public interest, with special trains run from various Midlands towns to Stafford. It is estimated that some 30,000 people attended the hanging. When Smith released the trap doors, Palmer hardly struggled—to the disappointment of the crowd. It was reported that Palmer told Smith, “God bless you,” on the gallows.

Mishaps and Public Outrage

Things did not always go to plan, as we see in this account of a hanging, kindly supplied by Liam Seamus McDonald.

Twenty-eight-year-old Francis Price was hanged on the 20th of August, 1860, at Warwick Gaol for the murder in Birmingham of his ex-sweetheart, 24-year-old Sarah Pratt.

It was traditional in those days of public executions to allow the condemned person a little time to ask the forgiveness of both their victim’s family and friends, and also of the crowd. The prison authorities also allowed the doomed person time to pray to God. In those more deeply religious times, these last few moments were considered extremely important for saving the soul and having a chance to enter heaven. It was also traditional for the condemned person to notify the hangman that they had finished their devotions by dropping a white handkerchief, whereupon the hangman would draw the bolt to open the scaffold’s trap.

For some reason, Smith was impatient—perhaps because he had a train to catch—and, not waiting for Price to finish his prayers, drew the bolt early, sending Price to his death. The watching crowd were incensed, believing that Smith had sent Price directly to hell, and they attempted to storm the scaffold—perhaps to hang Smith himself. Only the intervention of the police saved Smith, who was hustled into the safety of Warwick Gaol.

Once the estimated 3,000-strong crowd had dispersed, Smith was allowed to leave the gaol and made his way to Warwick station. Unfortunately for him, a sizeable portion of the spectators were Brummies and were also awaiting the same train as Smith to return to Birmingham. The hangman was immediately recognised and set upon; some assailants attempted to toss Smith onto the railway tracks (some reports say he actually was) in the hope he would be struck by a train. It was only with the assistance of the station master, Mr. Chiltern, and his staff that Smith was saved from being spread piecemeal along the Warwick to Birmingham railway line.

Another botched hanging occurred on the 7th of August 1866. Smith failed to secure the rope adequately to the beam, and William Collier fell to the ground when the trap doors were released. He had to be hanged again a few minutes later. This was Staffordshire’s last public hanging. Thirty-five-year-old Collier, a well-known poacher, was executed for the vicious murder of Thomas Smith, who was acting as gamekeeper on his father’s land at Whiston Eaves in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Final Years and Private Executions

George Smith carried out just one private execution, on the 13th of August 1872, when he hanged 34-year-old Christopher Edwards at Stafford for the murder of his wife. In addition, he assisted Calcraft at the first two private hangings in England, of Thomas Wells and Alexander Mackay in 1868.

Smith was known as the “Dudley Throttler” or “Higgler”—the latter being a Black Country slang term for a hangman. He was renowned for his long white coat and top hat, which he wore at public hangings. He was also noted for being particularly fond of “Black Billy” rum. This may have been the cause of the “dropsy” from which he suffered in later years.

George Incher took over the post of Staffordshire’s hangman after Smith’s death on the 4th of April 1874.

Other Work and Female Executions

Smith also got work at:

  • Warwick (6 executions)
  • Chester (4)
  • Shrewsbury (2)
  • Worcester (1)
  • Hereford (2)

His other female execution as principal was that of Mary Gallop at Chester on the 28th of December 1844, for killing her father. He also assisted Calcraft at the hangings of:

  • Betty Eccles, Liverpool, May 1843
  • Sarah Harriet Thomas, Bristol, 20th of April 1849
  • Alice Holt, Chester, 28th of December 1863

Complete List of George Smith’s Executions

DatePrisonerPlaceCrime/VictimComment
11/04/1840James OwenStaffordRape & murder of Christina CollinsAssisted
11/04/1840George ThomasStaffordRape & murder of Christina CollinsCalcraft
03/04/1841Matthew FowlesStaffordMurder of Martha Keeling
02/04/1842Joseph WilkesStaffordMurder of Matthew Adams
06/05/1843Betty EcclesLiverpoolMurder of stepsonAssisted Calcraft
26/08/1843Charles HigginsonStaffordMurder of 5-year-old son
02/09/1843James JonesChesterMurder of his wife – Elizabeth
13/01/1844Sarah WestwoodStaffordMurder of her husband
17/08/1844William BeardStaffordMurder of Elizabeth Griffiths
28/12/1844Mary GallopChesterMurder of her father
25/01/1845Paul DowningStaffordMurder of William Cooper
25/01/1845Charles PowysStaffordMurder of William Cooper
05/04/1845John BroughStaffordMurder of his brother – Thomas
22/04/1848William BatesChesterMurder of William Wyatt
26/03/1849Robert PulleyWorcesterMurder of 15 y/o Mary Straight
20/04/1849Sarah H. ThomasBristolMurder of mistress, Miss JefferiesAssisted Calcraft
09/04/1853Charles MooreStaffordMurder of Mr. & Mrs. Blackburn
07/04/1854John LloydShrewsburyMurder of John Griffiths
14/06/1856William PalmerStaffordPoisoning murder of J. P. Cook
08/08/1857George JacksonStaffordMurder of Mr. Charlesworth
30/12/1859John KingtonWarwickMurder of his wife
20/08/1860Francis PriceWarwickMurder of Sarah Pratt
05/01/1861Samuel TwiggStaffordMurder of his wife
30/12/1861William BeamishWarwickMurder of wife & child
30/12/1861John ThompsonWarwickMurder of Ann Walker
04/01/1862David BrandrickStaffordMurder of Mr. Bagott
25/08/1862George GardnerWarwickMurder of Sarah Kirby
06/04/1863Henry CarterWarwickMurder of Alice Hinkley
11/04/1863Edward CooperShrewsburyMurder of his son
15/04/1863William HopeHerefordMurder of Mary Corbett
05/04/1864Thomas WatkinsHerefordMurder of his wife
27/12/1864Charles BroughStaffordMurder of George Walker
27/12/1864Richard HaleStaffordMurder of “bastard child”
09/01/1866Charles RobinsonStaffordMurder of Harriet Seager
27/03/1866George BentleyStaffordMurder of John Poole*
07/08/1866William CollierStaffordMurder of Thomas Smith*
13/08/1872Christopher EdwardsStaffordMurder of his wife*
13/08/1868Thomas WellsMaidstoneMurder of station masterAssisted
08/09/1868Alexander MackayNewgateMurder of employer’s wifeCalcraft

*Possibly assisted by his son, George Smith Jr.

Learn more about British hangmen during the 19th century.

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