On 5th August 1723, highwaymen William Duce and James Butler were executed at Tyburn. Their remarkable final confessions reveal the workings of organised robbery gangs, betrayals by informers, violent attacks across London and Hampshire, and the personal reflections of two men who knew their criminal lives had reached a fatal end.
Tag Archives: Tyburn
This Day in History – 28th July 1721
On 28th July 1721, Matthew Clarke was executed for murdering Sarah Goldington during a robbery at Willesden Green. His detailed confession reveals a failed marriage scheme, a robbery planned to raise money, overwhelming remorse, terrifying dreams, and a final plea for others to learn from his tragic and violent downfall.
This Day in History – 24th July 1685
On 24th July 1685, barrister Robert Frances faced execution for killing the notorious Thomas Dangerfield. Frances claimed he merely intended to strike the recently whipped prisoner with his bamboo cane after being insulted. Instead, the cane entered Dangerfield’s eye, turning a fleeting burst of anger into a fatal encounter.
This Day in History – 23rd July 1753
A quarrel over gin ended with one fatal knife wound and a journey to Tyburn. William Peers’ execution on 23rd July 1753 tells the tragic story of an ordinary London baker whose violent temper destroyed his wife, his own life, and left behind a cautionary tale recorded by the Ordinary of Newgate.
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