Book description
Generation after generation has come up with new forms of
punishment to inflict on those guilty (and sometimes innocent) of
crimes against property and person. From the stocks and pillory, to
flogging, ducking and transportation to foreign lands, this volume
brings to life those turbulent times of long ago. Even after suffering
the ultimate in punishments - death - the bodies of the convicted
could still be punished. Stories of dissection, when the body of the
deceased criminal was publicly carved up, or gibbeting, when the
corpse would be coated in tar and canvas and displayed in an iron
frame on a pole 30ft high, are gruesome in the extreme. Pity poor John
Spencer, whose rotting remains were gibbeted for over sixty years
until the cage was finally blown down in a storm. Richly illustrated,
this book provides a fascinating glimpse into the dark world of
punishments through the centuries and will appeal to all those wishing
to discover more about Nottinghamshire's intriguing past.
Ian Morgan conducts guided walks for English Heritage, including
the ghost tour at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire.
