Executions

700 Years of Public Punishment in London

Jackie Keily, Thomas Ardill, Beverley Cook , Meriel Jeater

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English

Bloomsbury
10 January 2023

Exhibition catalogues & specific collections; Biography; British & Irish history; Penology & punishment; Museum, historic sites, gallery & art guides

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.

Contributions by: Thomas Ardill, Beverley Cook, Meriel Jeater
Volume editor: Jackie Keily
Imprint: Bloomsbury
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 248mm, Width: 197mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781781301081
ISBN 10: 1781301085
Pages: 144
Publication Date: 10 January 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

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

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.