By Tim Lambert
Hanging was the most common method of execution in England from Saxon times until the 20th century.
At first, the criminal stood on a ladder, which was pulled away, or on a cart, which was moved. From the 18th century, he stood on a trapdoor. Sometimes the hanged man broke his neck when he fell but until the 19th century, he was usually strangled by a rope. In the 18th century and the early 19th century hanging was the punishment for many crimes, not just murder (although in reality people convicted of lesser crimes were often reprieved).
In 1752 a law in England stated that the body of a person hanged for any crime would be handed over to surgeons to be dissected. To us, it would not seem like a severe punishment. However, to people of the time, the idea that after their death their bodies would be cut up was terrifying. It added an extra punishment to hanging.
During the early 19th century the number of crimes punishable by death was greatly reduced e.g. in 1829 a man named Thomas Maynard was the last person in Britain to be hanged for forgery. (Hanging as a punishment for forgery was abolished in 1836). After 1861 capital punishment was only retained for 4 crimes, murder, piracy, arson in the Royal Dockyards, and high treason.
The last woman hanged in public in Britain was Frances Kidder in 1868. The last man to be hanged in public was Michael Barrett also in 1868. The same year, 1868 public executions in Britain were abolished. Then in 1908 hanging was abolished for people under the age of 16. In 1933 the minimum age for hanging was raised to 18.
From the 1930s opposition to capital punishment was led by a wealthy woman named Violet Van der Elst. In 1937 she wrote a book called On the Gallows about the subject.
Furthermore, in the mid-20th century, public opinion in the UK gradually turned against capital punishment. An innocent man called Timothy Evans was hanged in 1950. (Evans was supposed to have murdered his wife and baby daughter. (In fact, it was later found out that a man named John Reginald Christie murdered them and several other women. Evans was pardoned in 1966). Another innocent man called Derek Bentley was hanged in 1953. (His conviction for murder was overturned in 1998).
The last woman to be hanged in Britain was Ruth Ellis in 1955 and her case caused controversy. Ruth shot her lover David Blakely but she may not have been in her right mind at the time. Then in 1956, Diana Dors starred in an anti-capital punishment film called Yield To The Night.
In 1957 a compromise was reached on capital punishment. The Homicide Act abolished hanging for certain kinds of murder. It was still allowed for murder during a theft, by shooting, or explosion. Capital punishment was also kept for the murder of a police officer or prison officer while on duty. (The last man to be hanged for killing a policeman in the UK was Gunther Podola in 1959). A person who was convicted of more than one murder could also be hanged. The Homicide Act also allowed people to plead not guilty to murder but guilty of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility.
The last people to be hanged in the UK were two men, Peter Allen and Gwynne Jones who were hanged on the same day in 1964. In Britain, the death penalty for murder was abolished for an experimental period of 5 years in 1965. It was abolished permanently in 1969. Free votes were held on the restoration of capital punishment between 1979 and 1994 but each time was rejected.
However capital punishment could in theory still be used for other crimes. Capital punishment for arson in the Royal Dockyards was abolished in 1971. In 1998 it was abolished for treason and piracy with violence. (The last person hanged for treason in Britain was Theodore Schurch in 1946). In 1999 the British Home Secretary signed the 6th protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, formally ending capital punishment in the UK.
A Timeline of Capital Punishment Around the World
1307
A mechanical beheading device is recorded in Dublin
1608
The first execution takes place in the North American colonies
1685
Alice Lisle becomes the last woman beheaded in Britain
1747
Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat becomes the last person beheaded on Tower Hill by the Tower of London
1790
In Britain, death by burning is abolished
1792
In France, the guillotine becomes the official method of execution
1820
In Britain, five men convicted of treason are sentenced to be hung, drawn, and quartered. But the full sentence is not carried out. They are hanged until they are dead and then beheaded with an axe.
1847
In the USA Michigan is the first state to abolish the death penalty for murder (it is retained for treason but it is abolished for all crimes in 1962)
1853
In the USA, Wisconsin abolishes the death penalty for all crimes
1861
In Britain capital punishment is abolished for all but four crimes murder, piracy, arson in the Royal Dockyards, and high treason
1868
In Britain, public executions are banned
1870
In Britain, the sentence of hanging, drawing, and quartering is formally abolished
1887
In the USA, Maine abolishes the death penalty
1890
In the USA, William Kemmler becomes the first person to be executed in the electric chair
1899
Martha Place becomes the first woman to be executed in the electric chair
1905
Norway abolishes the death penalty for crimes committed during peacetime
1910
Johan Ander becomes the last person executed in Sweden
1911
In the USA, Minnesota abolishes capital punishment
1921
Sweden abolishes the death penalty for all crimes committed during peacetime (in theory it could still be used for crimes committed during wartime).
1923
Susan Newell becomes the last person to be hanged in Scotland
1924
In the USA, John Gee becomes the first person to be executed in the gas chamber
1928
Iceland abolishes the death penalty
1933
In Britain, the minimum age for a person to be hanged is raised to 18
1936
The last public execution takes place in the USA. Rainey Bethea is hanged in Kentucky.
1939
The last public execution takes place in France
1949
West Germany abolished the death penalty
1950
In Britain Timothy Evans is hanged for a murder he did not commit
1955
Ruth Ellis is the last woman to be hanged in Britain
1957
In Britain, the Homicide Act abolished hanging for certain kinds of murder. It was still allowed for murder during a theft, by shooting, or by an explosion. Capital punishment was also kept for the murder of a police officer or prison officer while on duty.
Walter Bolton becomes the last person to be executed for murder in New Zealand.
In the USA, Alaska abolishes the death penalty. So does Hawaii.
1961
New Zealand abolishes the death penalty for murder (it is retained for treason)
1964
Peter Allen and Gwynne Jones are the last two people to be hanged in Britain
1965
In Britain, the death penalty for murder is abolished for an experimental period of 5 years. In the USA, Iowa abolishes the death penalty. So does West Virginia.
1967
Ronald Ryan becomes the last person to be executed in Australia
1969
In Britain, the death penalty for murder is permanently abolished (its retained for arson in a royal dockyard, treason, and piracy with violence)
1971
In Britain, the death penalty for arson in a royal dockyard is abolished
1972
Vassilis Lymberis becomes the last person in Greece executed for murder (he was shot by a firing squad). In the USA, Vermont abolishes the death penalty.
1973
Sweden abolishes executions for all crimes. North Dakota completely abolishes capital punishment.
1976
Portugal abolishes the death penalty
1977
The guillotine is used for the last time in France
1978
Denmark abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. Spain abolishes capital punishment in peacetime.
1979
Norway abolishes capital punishment for crimes committed during wartime. Nicaragua abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. So does Luxembourg.
1981
France abolishes capital punishment
1982
In the USA lethal injection is first used as a method of execution. The Netherlands abolishes the death penalty for all crimes.
1984
In the USA, Rhode Island abolishes the death penalty
1985
The death penalty is abolished for all crimes in Australia
1987
Haiti abolishes the death penalty. So does East Germany.
1989
New Zealand abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. Cambodia also abolishes the death penalty. So does Slovenia.
1990
Romania abolishes the death penalty. So do Hungary, Croatia, and Slovakia. It is also abolished in the Czech Republic. Capital punishment is completely abolished in Ireland. It’s also abolished in Mozambique.
1992
Switzerland abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. Angola abolishes capital punishment. So does Paraguay.
1994
Italy abolishes the death penalty for all crimes
1995
Spain abolishes capital punishment for all crimes
1996
Belgium abolishes the death penalty for all crimes
1997
Poland abolishes the death penalty
1998
In Britain, the death penalty is abolished for treason and piracy with violence, the last crimes for which it could be used. Bulgaria abolishes the death penalty. So do Estonia and Lithuania. Canada completely abolishes the death penalty.
1999
In Britain the British Home Secretary signs the 6th protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, formally ending capital punishment in the UK.
2000
Malta abolishes all capital punishment. Ukraine abolishes the death penalty.
2004
Greece abolishes capital punishment for all crimes. So do Senegal, Turkey, and Bhutan
2005
Mexico abolishes the death penalty for all crimes.
2007
In the USA, New Jersey abolishes the death penalty. Rwanda abolishes the death penalty. So does Albania.
2009
Bolivia abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. In the USA New Mexico abolishes the death penalty. So do Burundi and Togo.
2010
Gabon abolishes the death penalty
2011
In the USA, Illinois abolishes the death penalty
2012
Latvia abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. In the USA, Connecticut abolishes capital punishment.
2013
In the USA, Maryland abolishes the death penalty
2015
Madagascar abolishes the death penalty. So does Suriname. Fiji abolishes capital punishment for all crimes.
2016
Benin abolishes capital punishment for all crimes. In the USA, Delaware abolishes the death penalty.
2018
Burkina Faso abolishes capital punishment. In the USA, Washington abolishes the death penalty.
2019
In the USA, New Hampshire abolishes the death penalty
2020
Chad abolishes the death penalty for all crimes. In the USA, Colorado abolishes capital punishment.
2021
Sierra Leone abolishes capital punishment. So does Kazakhstan. In the USA, Virginia abolishes the death penalty.
2022
Papua New Guinea abolishes the death penalty for all crimes
Today some countries still allow capital punishment but there is a growing movement across the world for its abolition.