Travellers to early on modern London , spell approaching the port metropolis upwards the river Thames , were greeted past times a ghastly sight. The riverbank was lined amongst gallows , from which hung a publish of rotting corpses , fountain inwards Fe cages. They swung inwards the air current in addition to made a horrid creaking dissonance that both terrified in addition to offended wayfarers. But the gallows at London’s infamous Execution Dock would rest for nearly 4 hundred years.
This was a fourth dimension when Great Britain was expanding its empire. The British crown , driven past times commercial ambitions in addition to the necessity to one-up the contest amongst Kingdom of Spain in addition to French Republic , began setting upwards colonies at far-flung places across the oceans. The crown traded extensively amongst its colonies. The colonies provided essential raw materials for England , in addition to at the same fourth dimension , served every bit markets for British manufactured goods.
A replica gallows past times the River Thames inwards London. Photo credit: Toby Bradbury/Flickr
For this modern organisation of maritime commerce to succeed , Great Britain needed secure merchandise routes. In those days , in addition to peculiarly during the reign of Queen Elizabeth , piracy , or rather privateering , was a state-sponsored thing , actively supported past times the crown in addition to used every bit a tool of hostility against vessels of unusual nations. But Queen Elizabeth’s successors did non back upwards the hiring of mercenaries. Privateering was abolished , in addition to many privateers , used to the life of criminal offense in addition to riches , became pirates.
Piracy on the high seas was ruled a grievous criminal offense , for it became a threat to maritime trade. The alone penalty plumbing equipment for such a criminal offense was death.
Maritime criminals including pirates , mutineers , in addition to smugglers , who awaited the fatal penalty were held at Marshalsea Prison , from where they were transferred southeast to Wapping for world execution at Execution Dock. London had many world execution spots , but Execution Dock , past times the Thames , was used specially for pirates.
The condemned human , or adult woman , was either carted or paraded through the streets from the prison theatre to the Execution Dock , led past times the Admiralty Marshal or 1 of his deputies. The Admiralty Marshal , riding on horseback , would behave a argent oar , an particular which represented the ascendence of the Admiralty. Public executions were identify unit of measurement affair. The streets would live lined amongst spectators in addition to the riverbanks would live flood amongst them. Others would float on the river inwards packed boats. There would live men in addition to women , quondam in addition to immature , every bit good every bit children —an immense crowd , all dandy to come across a human hang past times his cervix in addition to die.
A 1795 engraving depicting a pirate beingness hanged at Execution Dock. It has also been suggested that the pirate is Captain James Lowry , hanged inwards 1762. Photo credit: Royal Museums Greenwich
On the agency to the gallows , a pub named The Turks Head Inn , which is instantly a café , would serve the lastly quart of ale to the condemned pirate. Once at the scaffold , the pirate would live given the peril to brand the lastly dying spoken language , inwards which he would either limited regret for his actions or lash out violently against whoever he blamed for his fate. When this ritual was completed , the pirate would live hung past times the cervix until dead.
To brand the ordeal every bit painful every bit possible , pirates were hung past times a brusque rope. The shortened rope would brand the drib insufficient to interruption the prisoner’s neck. Instead , the executed would popular off a boring decease from strangulation. During the suffocation , the victim would writhe in addition to struggle. This macabre display was nicknamed the ‘Marshal’s Dance’.
Hangings e'er took identify at depression tide. After the convict was dead , they waited until 3 tides had washed over the trunk earlier it was brought down. But the almost notorious pirates would live left on display , hanging past times the rope , in addition to fountain inwards an Fe cage , known every bit a gibbet , to serve every bit alarm to all those who would follow their footsteps.
The almost famous criminal to live coated inwards tar in addition to hung inwards a gibbet was Captain Kidd , who was convicted of piracy inwards 1701. His trunk remained hung for ii years , around say three. It’s highly unlikely that his trunk remained hanging for 20 years , a figure that’s often quoted past times around writers. It’s only 1 of the many fables in addition to lore surrounding the infamous pirate.
The lastly hangings at the dock occurred on sixteen Dec 1830.
Today , no 1 is certain where the Execution Dock’s gallows genuinely stood , every bit the originals are long gone. Although , at that spot is a replica instantly only exterior the nearly 500-year-old pub , Prospect of Whitby , past times the Thames.
A woodcut showing the execution of ii pirates at Wapping inwards 1583.
The gibbeted trunk of Captain Kidd who was executed at Wapping inwards 1701.
A pub inwards Wapping named later on Captain Kidd. Photo credit: Felix Cohen/Flickr
In social club to promote the launch of pirate drama ‘Black Sails’ on Amazon Prime Instant Video inwards 2014 , men dressed every bit pirates were strung upwards inwards gibbets on a beach of the River Thames. Photo credit: Mischief PR
Photo credit: xpgomes10/Flickr
Sources: Wikipedia / Historic UK / BBC / englishlegalhistory.wordpress.com