I read Albert Pierrpoints book some years ago.I was sure he was the last hangman ? A most wonderfull and compassionate man who he perfected the art of hanging and carried out his job with no malice but to make the execution as quick and painless as possible.
2007-02-08 06:36:46 · 13 answers · asked by janet s 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
It was 60s but not sure what date, last woman ruth ellis, I know Hindley and Brady missed out. I know the hangman from strangeways was the last to hang (manchester) and he drank in the pub my mum was barmaid in. He has died since I dont know his name but I knew it in a Triv question and it said he was the last to do it. I recognised his name. Its a fascinating subject. I think it is still written as treason punishable by death, but obviously it wouldnt happen. Thank God. Good question.
2007-02-08 06:49:31 · answer #1 · answered by babyshambles 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The death penalty was suspended for five years in 1965. It later became permament in 1969. The death penalty survived in Northern Ireland until 1973, though the last two cases of hanging anywhere in the UK took place seperately one the same day in 1964 - one at Liverpool's Walton prison and one at Strangeways in Manchester.
From 1969 the only crimes that still theoretically carried the death penalty were treason, piracy and causing a fire in a naval dockyard, though I don't think the sentence was ever passed - if it was, it was never carried out.
The last death sentence for murder that I know of in the UK was imposed on the ISLE OF MAN in 1992, but after the case went to appeal in 1994 the death penalty had been abolished on the island by then and so was downgraded to life imprisonment.
For all this you can blame the UK signing up to the European Convention on Human Rights in 1998.
Pierrepoint resigned in 1956 as chief executioner. He was replaced by Harry Allen, who was one of the last men to perform the job.
2007-02-08 07:48:39 · answer #2 · answered by Mental Mickey 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
officially not until 1998 strangely enough.
Yes the last hanging in the UK was in the late 1960's, but up until the UK introduced the Human Rights act in 1998 it was still theoretically possible to be hung for a number of offences including;
- High treason
- Piracy
- Arson in a navel dock yard
There were other odd laws which carried capital punishment such as sleeping with a consort to the queen or future queen. Weather they would have been punished in this way though is debatable. Interestingly considering Princess Diana would have been a future queen it was possible for James Hewitt to be tried for this crime.
2007-02-08 07:02:38 · answer #3 · answered by plastic paddy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
See the previous answer tonight to a similar question - about half an hour ago.
The hanging of William Joyce on 3 Jan 1946, convicted of treason, was a vindictive act of on behalf of the British. The man was an American - born 1300 Makaymer Street, Brooklyn, NY but the Brits needed a scapegoat.
2007-02-08 06:49:53 · answer #4 · answered by The Shadow 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Derek Bentleys hanging in 1957 I believe is/ was the last hanging in this country. Though it wasnt abolished until the Human Rights Act 1998 came into force in 2000 because it was still avaliable for treason.
2007-02-08 12:17:17 · answer #5 · answered by Master Mevans 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think your getting mixed up a bit hanging for murder was abolished in the sixties but the death penalty remained for other serious offences.The reason the last hangman was so long ago was nobody was hung for any of the other offences following the abolishment of death for murder.Plastic paddy is spot on with the offences and dates
2007-02-08 07:33:54 · answer #6 · answered by frankturk50 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Last public hanging in England. That awful distinction goes to Michael Barrett hanged outside Newgate Prison, London on 26th May 1868 ...
Treason no longer has the death penalty.
2007-02-08 06:52:35 · answer #7 · answered by intruder3906 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think it was 1964 or 1965 because I know that the Moors Murderers missed it by a whisker mores the pity.
2007-02-08 08:35:40 · answer #8 · answered by Beau Brummell 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1969. http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:95RKC-OqVtwJ:news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/16/newsid_3258000/3258437.stm+abolition+of+hanging+uk&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2/ Albert Pierrpoint appears to have been the last official hangman in Britain.
James Hanratty was a man more hanged against than hanging!
2007-02-08 06:45:38 · answer #9 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't know the exact date.
I guess you would have to look at the statistics to see when there was a sudden increase in the crime figures.
2007-02-08 08:02:07 · answer #10 · answered by frank S 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋