The Gibbet & Hangings

A great many crimes resulted in the death penalty and so the gibbeting-cage was designed and allowed, under the Murder Act, to punish more heinous offences such as muder, piracy, and smuggling by preventing the convicted person's body from receiving a proper burial. These cages were hung from gibbets and the criminal was left to die and rot in them. There was no hard fast desing for gibbet-cages due to them being designed by the blacksmith of wherever the gibbeting was taking place.

Another image of a gibbet-cage which was suspended from a gibbet as punishment for crimes.

“See there, see there, what yonder swings
And creaks 'mid whistling rain,
Gibbet and steel — the accursed wheel —
A murderer in his chain.” William and Ellen.

An illustration for Great Expectations.

After the outlawing of gibbeting-cages in 1832, due to the desire to stop grave robbing for scientific experiments, the gibbet was then commonly used for hangings.

This reconstruction of a gibbet shows the kind of improptu workmanship that really led to the creation of these hanging posts.

This gibbet, in the middle of the Northumberland countryside, is a reminded of a grisly murder that happened long ago.

A sample of a broadsheet proclaiming the sentencing of one Dr. Barnard to die.

A young girl is set to be "publicly strangled" as a "grand moral spectacle".

This broadsheet contains a song to sing during the execution.

Another broadsheet discussing the crimes and trial of one George Coney.

Just ye old general executions for the year 1856.

This broadsheet contains the information about the exectuion of Joseph Hunton but also a hymn a copy of "Verses" as well. Another indication of the moral backing that many hangings were seen to have.

A list of prisoners, their sentences, and their crimes. Some of them are really interesting to look over.

This also contains a verse about the scaffold used to carry forth judgement.

Mr. Editor,
I was a witness of the execution at Horsemonger Lane this morning. I went there with the intention of observing the crowd gathered to behold it, and I had excellent opportunities of doing so, at intervals all through the night, and continuously from daybreak until after the spectacle was over. I do not address you on the subject with any intention of discussing the abstract question of capital punishment, or any of the arguments of its opponents or advocates. I simply wish to turn this dreadful experience to some account for the general good, by taking the readiest and most…