Executions: 700 Years of Public Punishment in London
A fascinating record of how London and Londoners were shaped by nearly 700 years of public executions.

More frequent in London than in any other city or town in Britain, these morbid spectacles often attracted tens of thousands of onlookers at locations across the capital and were a major part of Londoners' lives for centuries. From Smithfield to Kennington, Tyburn to Newgate Prison, public executions became embedded in London's landscape and people's lives. Even today, hints of this dark chapter in London's history can still be seen across the city.

Featuring the lives and legacies of those who died or who witnessed public executions first hand from 1196 to 1868, this book tells the rarely told and often tragic human stories behind these events. It includes a range of fascinating objects, paintings and documents, many from the Museum of London's collections, such as the vest said to have been worn by King Charles I when he was executed, portraits of 'celebrity criminals', and last letters of the condemned.

From the sites of execution to the thriving 'gallows' economy, the book reveals the role that Londoners played as both spectators and participants in this most public demonstration of state power over the life and death of its citizens.

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Executions: 700 Years of Public Punishment in London
A fascinating record of how London and Londoners were shaped by nearly 700 years of public executions.

More frequent in London than in any other city or town in Britain, these morbid spectacles often attracted tens of thousands of onlookers at locations across the capital and were a major part of Londoners' lives for centuries. From Smithfield to Kennington, Tyburn to Newgate Prison, public executions became embedded in London's landscape and people's lives. Even today, hints of this dark chapter in London's history can still be seen across the city.

Featuring the lives and legacies of those who died or who witnessed public executions first hand from 1196 to 1868, this book tells the rarely told and often tragic human stories behind these events. It includes a range of fascinating objects, paintings and documents, many from the Museum of London's collections, such as the vest said to have been worn by King Charles I when he was executed, portraits of 'celebrity criminals', and last letters of the condemned.

From the sites of execution to the thriving 'gallows' economy, the book reveals the role that Londoners played as both spectators and participants in this most public demonstration of state power over the life and death of its citizens.

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Overview

A fascinating record of how London and Londoners were shaped by nearly 700 years of public executions.

More frequent in London than in any other city or town in Britain, these morbid spectacles often attracted tens of thousands of onlookers at locations across the capital and were a major part of Londoners' lives for centuries. From Smithfield to Kennington, Tyburn to Newgate Prison, public executions became embedded in London's landscape and people's lives. Even today, hints of this dark chapter in London's history can still be seen across the city.

Featuring the lives and legacies of those who died or who witnessed public executions first hand from 1196 to 1868, this book tells the rarely told and often tragic human stories behind these events. It includes a range of fascinating objects, paintings and documents, many from the Museum of London's collections, such as the vest said to have been worn by King Charles I when he was executed, portraits of 'celebrity criminals', and last letters of the condemned.

From the sites of execution to the thriving 'gallows' economy, the book reveals the role that Londoners played as both spectators and participants in this most public demonstration of state power over the life and death of its citizens.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781781301081
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication date: 12/13/2022
Pages: 144
Product dimensions: 7.85(w) x 9.75(h) x 0.55(d)

About the Author

Thomas Ardill is a curator of paintings, prints and drawings at the Museum of London.

Beverley Cook is a curator of social and working history (19th-21st Century) at the Museum of London

Meriel Jeater is a curator of archaeology at the Museum of London.

Jackie Keily is a freelance museum curator specialising in exhibition curation and the history of London.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Condemned to a public death
2. City of gallows
3. Preparing for execution
4. The day of execution
5. The executed body
6. Ending the spectacle
Conclusion: Executions move inside
Index

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