1. This is Tyburn Tree, London’s largest site for public hangings from at least 1177 until 1798 when Newgate Prison became the new home for this macabre form of entertainment.
Out of the thousands executed there, one famous case was that of William Duell.
Out of the thousands executed there, one famous case was that of William Duell.
2. Indicted on charges of rape, robbery & murder, the 17-year-old was convicted of rape & sentenced to death. On a bitter winter’s day in November 1740, he faced the noose at Tyburn. After being hanged for 22 minutes, he was cut down and his body was hauled into a hackney coach.
3. His body was taken to Barber-Surgeons’ Hall to be dissected for purposes of medical research. The surgeon & his assistants got a shock when they placed the corpse on the slab though & it groaned. Further examination revealed signs of life & after a while he was able to sit up.
4. He was then transported to Newgate Prison where he was put in a cell, and given broth & covers to keep him warm. In a few days, it's said he was back to full health. During this time, the powers that were had to decide what to do with him.
After all, he was legally dead.
After all, he was legally dead.
5. To avoid making a mockery of the law & to curb the spread of the knowledge that you could survive a hanging, they sentenced him to transportation. He was sent to North America & reportedly lived out the rest of his life in Boston, before dying at the age of eighty-two.
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