Execution, State and Society in England, 1660-1900

The book provides a comprehensive account of execution practices in England from 1660 to 1900, revealing how urban growth and public culture challenged and displaced traditional elites who valued the old Bloody Code.

Format: Hardback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 26 October 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of execution practices in England, spanning from 1660 to 1900, and the remarkable transformation they underwent. In the past, agonizing execution rituals were prevalent, with male traitors subjected to hanged, disemboweled while still alive, decapitated, and quartered. Female traitors faced a horrifying fate of being burned alive. Common criminals met their end through slow choking to death beneath wooden crossbeams erected at the edges of towns. Some of their remains were left to rot on roadside gibbets or dissected by anatomy instructors.

Over two centuries later, the execution landscape in England had undergone a significant shift. Only murderers and traitors were executed, and they were confined to solitary confinement, often resulting in swift and painless deaths behind prison walls. In this significant contribution to the history of crime and punishment in England, Simon Devereaux delves into how urban growth and the unique public culture it fostered challenged and largely displaced the traditional elites who valued the old Bloody Code as an instrument of their rule.

The book explores the various methods of execution employed throughout this period, including hanging, beheading, and dismemberment. It sheds light on the societal attitudes towards capital punishment, the role of the judiciary in determining the fate of criminals, and the impact of execution on the broader community. Devereaux also examines the evolution of execution technology, from the simple wooden crossbeam to more sophisticated methods such as the electric chair and lethal injection.

Through his meticulous research and analysis, Devereaux provides a rich and detailed account of the history of execution practices in England. He challenges the notion that the Bloody Code was a timeless and universal system of justice, highlighting the specific cultural and historical contexts that shaped its implementation. The book offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between crime, punishment, and social change, and its significance in understanding the development of criminal justice systems in modern societies.

In conclusion, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of crime and punishment, as well as in the broader social and cultural dynamics of early modern England. It provides a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of execution practices, challenging our assumptions about the past and shedding light on the complex factors that shaped the development of criminal justice systems in the modern world.

ISBN-13: 9781009392150