Well that seems to be worse, Anne-fan, the fact that they saw executions as picnik worthy entertainment. *shudders*

Anne-fan said

No. How anyone could stand and watch is beyond me. According to history, some families used to pack a picnic lunch to ‘add to the entertainment’ of seeing an execution.

To us it aborrant, but to them it is as I said before perfectly normal. It wasn’t unusual to have a picnic lunch, there would also be other entertaiment layed on too, there would be Market stalls too. It was a big event for people like us to attend an execution, a day off from work for some, and something to break the tedium and boredom of their everyday lives.. It was a case of with executions the gorier the better, after all it would be something for them to gossip about with those who couldn’t attend the execution that day.
Margaret Pole’s execution was unpleasent because basically she was hacked to pieces, after all as she pointed out she hadn’t done anything wrong. Henry couldn’t get at her son, so it was a case of kill all those close to him, that was the spiteful side of Henry’s nature.
Executions could be messy, there have been documented cases where a person who has been sentenced to hang, have had their rope misjudged and as a result when the trap falls their head has literely been torn off or in other cases where the rope has been too long and the convict has simply plunged down and broken his/her legs on the inpact with the ground. Where beheading was involved it was usually a case of praying that the axe was sharp enough to take your head off in one shot. It wasn’t unheard of for a executioner to actually finish the job with a sharp knife, as was the case with the Duke of Monmouth. It even took 3 strokes of the axe I believe to behead Mary QOS.
People sometimes ask with a Halberd was used to chop heads, it’s actually quite a simple one to answer it’s because Halberds were used in battle and being beheaded by one is as close as a person could get to being killed in a battle or mortal combat. I suppose it could also be classed as a kindness too, as us mear motals wouldn’t have had the upbringing that gave us the right to be executed by the battle axe.
Executions were extremely popular and it was really after George 1st took the throne that they fell out of favour.

Yeah that’s inhuman to watch someone die like that and feel happy about it or the need to celebrate it. It’s…plain wrong honestly…

Anyanka said

The latter Georgians enjoyed the public spectacle of a good hanging as did the Victorians…It was only after the passing of the Capital Punishment Amendment Act in 1868* which stopped public hangings in favourt of those behind prison walls.

Beheading was only removed as a punsishment of treason in 1973….**

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Punishment_Amendment_Act_1868

**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_United_Kingdom

And that was really not so long ago… only problem is, I have no trust in wikipedia, since it can be altered by anyone.
Not saying you;re wrong by any means, but I always go to actual historical sites and books for info like this!

Talking of laws. I believe it’s still permissiable to actually piddle on your local town hall steps and not get prosicuted as long as you shout relief, whilst doing it..
Another looney law is that it is illegal to bang you doormat against your outside wall after 8.30am..

I would think that when the executions were fewer it might have made more of an impression and gave some food for thought. However, as they became more frequent and more of a social gathering, I think they would have lost some of the impact. Going to an execution became more of a day out, do some shopping and catch up on the latest gossip.

Anne-fan said

Anyanka said

The latter Georgians enjoyed the public spectacle of a good hanging as did the Victorians…It was only after the passing of the Capital Punishment Amendment Act in 1868* which stopped public hangings in favourt of those behind prison walls.

Beheading was only removed as a punsishment of treason in 1973….**

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_Punishment_Amendment_Act_1868

**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_United_Kingdom

And that was really not so long ago… only problem is, I have no trust in wikipedia, since it can be altered by anyone.
Not saying you;re wrong by any means, but I always go to actual historical sites and books for info like this!

Hansard is linked thoughout both Wiki articles in regard to the actual debates ..

For non-Brits…Hansard is the publisher of all parlimentry debates of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.They do not publish word for word transcriptions but they give an overview with all the extranous details removed.

Sophie1536 said

I would like to know if anyone watching these executions in Tudor times was ever affected by what they witnessed, I would have gone because that’s what we did 500 odd years ago but I do wonder if anyone ever came away and actually dwelt on these events

Given the vast numbers of crimes that were punishible by death at those times…”hung for a sheep as for a lamb” shows how little human life was valued. scary that some people think it was a golden age of humanity…

Boleyn said

Anyanka said

To us..yes. But to our ancestors less so.

Their lives were much harsher and death was a constant presence. A scratch could get infected and kill you. Not even being the wife of a king could save you from the most common female death of the time.

For the lowest classes there was precious little time to relax from the grind of work.You worked from sun-rise to sunset. Everyday..or you died.

A few hours off for a hanging or seeing some-one in the stocks, browse the market stalls, gossip with your gossips and learn the news..must have been a God-send of leisure time in the sheer dudgery of their lives.

Woman were certainly given a rum deal back then, we were basically viewed as a commodidity to be used by men as they saw fit.. We should be thankful for people like Emily Pankhurst who fought for the right for woman equality. Although to be fair here, it was Anne who actually put the first blow in for us, and Elizabeth carried on that task. She showed the world that she was a good if not better than any man.

Queen Anne was one kick-ass MF-er…too.Shame the House of Hanover had to wait to Vicky for some female sparkles…