Olde Yorkshire Punishments


Book Description

This fascinating volume explores the darkest aspects of crime and punishment in Yorkshire over the centuries - a history by turns gruesome, intriguing and strange. From the stocks, joug and branding iron to the prison cell, galley - and noose - every punishment that could befall the criminals of Yorkshire is included in this volume. Some are horrific; some, like the nailing of ears to the pillory, bizarre; and some, like the little girl who died in 1856 'through fear of whipping by the school mistress', heartbreakingly sad. Containing notorious villains such as Charlie Peace and Eugene Aram, true-life cases, underworld institutions such as 'flash houses', and the extraordinary histories of executioners such as 'Mutton' Currey of York, who once was so intoxicated that he tried to hang the officiating priest instead of the condemned, this book has much to surprise and entertain the reader. With sections on Church scandals, why bull baiting was a legal requirement and the use of the Sharp Maiden - the guillotine - it will delight anyone with an interest in Yorkshire's penal history.




Curious Tales of Old East Yorkshire


Book Description

'Curious Tales of Old East Yorkshire' is a guide to the history, folklore, traditions & social institutions of the old East Riding, arranged in 14 diverse chapters. Anecdotes are included on events, personalities, buildings, customs & domestic matters.




Old Yorkshire


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Curious Tales from West Yorkshire


Book Description

This is a charming compendium of historical oddities, curious customs and strange events from across West Yorkshire. Laid out in an easy to use A-Z format it explores a vast range of subjects, from folklore and legends to Yorkshire's strangest buildings, artefacts and memorials (including a drinker's tomb made from a beer barrel). Here also are some of Yorkshire's most eccentric characters and famous former inhabitants, and the stories behind some of the oddest events that have occurred in the county - and perhaps even in the whole of the British Isles. With countless Civil War curiosities, tragic tales and hilarious happenings, 'tha couldna mak it up!'. Richly illustrated with both modern and archive images, it will delight residents and visitors alike.




Olde Nottinghamshire Punishments


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 canvass 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.




Olde Cotswold Punishments


Book Description

Look beyond the pretty cottages and gentle landscapes of the Cotswolds, and you will find a dark history of crime and punishment. From child thieves, poachers, conmen, prostitutes and would-be suicides to bigamists, highwaymen and murderers, the Cotswolds has had its fair share of criminals – treated in what appears to us today to be an arbitrary and often unduly harsh manner by judges and juries. What crimes were committed in this rural society in the past, and how were they punished? This book looks at the variety of punishments bestowed to miscreants – from being hanged from a portable gallows at the scene of a crime to transportation or hard labour – and why some were punished more than others. Evidence is taken from contemporary sources: prison records, newspaper accounts and broadsides that celebrated the lives and deaths of local characters. It is a fascinating and shocking read.




Old Yorkshire


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Old Yorkshire. (New Ser.)


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Memorials of Old Yorkshire


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