A London Hanging, 1726
A London Hanging, 1726 Hanging was the principle method of judicial execution in England from the 1700s until capital punishment was abolished in 1964. Hanging could be the sentence for numerous crimes ranging from burglary to murder. Until 1868, when the procedure was moved in-doors, a hanging was a public event that attracted curious crowds and generated a carnival atmosphere. The intent of this gruesome public display was to deter criminal behavior for all who witnessed it. Hangings in the London judicial area were usually performed at the village of Tyburn just outside the city on the road to Oxford. Eight "hanging days" were scheduled during the year assuring that the event would involve a number of victims. "The bodies and clothes of the dead belong to the executioner." A visiting Frenchman reveals his observations of eighteenth century England's judicial system. . . "Criminals are not executed immediately after their trial, as they are abroad, but ar...