On 6 May 1685, twenty-three prisoners were executed at Tyburn following an Old Bailey session. Despite the Ordinary’s efforts, many remained unrepentant, hoping for pardon until the end. The account reveals a sombre mass execution marked by silence, resignation, and the harsh realities of early modern justice.
Tag Archives: historical justice
This Day in History: 13 February 1706 — Peter Blake and the Crime of Bigamy
On 13 February 1706, Peter Blake married his first wife in Salisbury. Sixteen years later, he was tried at the Old Bailey for bigamy after marrying again while she was still alive. Found guilty in 1722, he was sentenced to be burnt in the hand, a common branding punishment of the era.
This Day in History: 5 February 1808 — Edward Westbrooke and the Stolen Cotton
On 5 February 1808, London’s highest criminal court, the Old Bailey, heard the case of Edward Westbrooke, who stood accused of stealing hundreds of printed cotton handkerchiefs and other textiles — goods of considerable value in the commercial heart of Georgian England. His trial, conviction and ultimate fate reveal much about how property, punishment andContinue reading “This Day in History: 5 February 1808 — Edward Westbrooke and the Stolen Cotton”
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