Read Online Tyburn: The Story of London's Gallows by Robert Bard - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert Bard
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the Lord the King to him thereupon directed.’ So they were brought to trial, and all found guilty. William Mathewe and Lady Agnes Hungerford were sentenced to be hanged; William Inges pleaded benefit of clergy. The plea was contested on the ground that he had committed bigamy, by which he lost his right to claim his clergy. The question was referred to the Bishop of Salisbury, who proved that Inges was a bigamist, and Inges was therefore also sentenced to be hanged. There is no record of a third execution; the servant hanged at the same time as Lady Agnes Hungerford was therefore William Mathewe. The story is still incomplete.
In 2012 the castle site remains, a haunting, well-preserved ruin run by English Heritage. It is a Scheduled Monument and a Grade I listed building.
1525 In the last moneth called December were taken certain traytors in the citie of Coventry, one called Fraunces Philippe schoolemaster … and one Christopher Pykeryng clerke of ye Larder, and one Antony Maynuile gentleman, which by the persuasion of the sayd Fraunces Philip, entended to have taken the kynges treasure of his subsidie as the Collectors of the same came towarde London, and then to have araised men and taken the castle of Kylingworth, and then to have made battaile against the kyng: wherfore the sayd Fraunces, Christopher and Anthony wer hanged, drawen and quartered at Tyborne the 6 day of Februarye, the residue that were taken, were sent to the citie of Coventry and there wer executed. One of the kynges Henchmen called Dygby which was one of the conspirators fled the realme, and after had his pardon. (Hall, p. 673).
1535 Proceedings were taken against the London Carthusians for refusing to admit Henry’s claim to be supreme head of the Church. In the London House were at this time Father Robert Lawrence, Prior of Beauvale, and Father Augustine Webster, Prior of Axholme; Beauvale and Axholme being two other Carthusian monasteries. Together with Father Houghton, Prior of the London House, Father Lawrence and Father Webster were brought to trial and condemned. Let Chauncy [Sir Henry Chauncy, a historian, 1632–1719] tell the story of their execution; with little variation it may stand for that of all the Catholic martyrs from 1535 to 1681:
Being brought out of prison [the Tower] they were thrown down on a hurdle and fastened to it, lying at length on their backs, and so lying on the hurdle, they were dragged at the heels of horses through the city until they came to Tyburn, a place where, according to custom, criminals are executed, which is distant from the prison one league, or a French mile. Who can relate what grievous things, what tortures they endured on that whole journey, where one while the road lay over rough and hard, at another through wet and muddy places, which exceedingly abounded. On arrival at the place of execution our holy Father was the first loosed, and then the executioner, as the custom is, bent his knee before him, asking pardon for the cruel work he had to do … beholding the benignity of so holy a man, how gently and moderately he spoke to the executioner, how sweetly he embraced and kissed him, and how piously he prayed for him and for all the bystanders. Then on being ordered to mount the ladder to the gibbet, where he was to be hanged, he meekly obeyed. Then one of the King’s Council, who stood there with many thousand people, who came together to witness the sight, asked him if he would submit to the king’s command and the Act of Parliament, for if he would he should be pardoned. The holy Martyr of Christ answered: ‘I call Almighty God, and I beseech you all in the terrible Day of Judgment, to bear witness, that being here about to die, I publicly declare that not through any pertinacity, malice, or rebellious spirit, do I commit this disobedience and denial of the will of our lord the king, but solely through fear of God, lest I should offend His Supreme Majesty; because our holy mother, the Church,
In 2012 the castle site remains, a haunting, well-preserved ruin run by English Heritage. It is a Scheduled Monument and a Grade I listed building.
1525 In the last moneth called December were taken certain traytors in the citie of Coventry, one called Fraunces Philippe schoolemaster … and one Christopher Pykeryng clerke of ye Larder, and one Antony Maynuile gentleman, which by the persuasion of the sayd Fraunces Philip, entended to have taken the kynges treasure of his subsidie as the Collectors of the same came towarde London, and then to have araised men and taken the castle of Kylingworth, and then to have made battaile against the kyng: wherfore the sayd Fraunces, Christopher and Anthony wer hanged, drawen and quartered at Tyborne the 6 day of Februarye, the residue that were taken, were sent to the citie of Coventry and there wer executed. One of the kynges Henchmen called Dygby which was one of the conspirators fled the realme, and after had his pardon. (Hall, p. 673).
1535 Proceedings were taken against the London Carthusians for refusing to admit Henry’s claim to be supreme head of the Church. In the London House were at this time Father Robert Lawrence, Prior of Beauvale, and Father Augustine Webster, Prior of Axholme; Beauvale and Axholme being two other Carthusian monasteries. Together with Father Houghton, Prior of the London House, Father Lawrence and Father Webster were brought to trial and condemned. Let Chauncy [Sir Henry Chauncy, a historian, 1632–1719] tell the story of their execution; with little variation it may stand for that of all the Catholic martyrs from 1535 to 1681:
Being brought out of prison [the Tower] they were thrown down on a hurdle and fastened to it, lying at length on their backs, and so lying on the hurdle, they were dragged at the heels of horses through the city until they came to Tyburn, a place where, according to custom, criminals are executed, which is distant from the prison one league, or a French mile. Who can relate what grievous things, what tortures they endured on that whole journey, where one while the road lay over rough and hard, at another through wet and muddy places, which exceedingly abounded. On arrival at the place of execution our holy Father was the first loosed, and then the executioner, as the custom is, bent his knee before him, asking pardon for the cruel work he had to do … beholding the benignity of so holy a man, how gently and moderately he spoke to the executioner, how sweetly he embraced and kissed him, and how piously he prayed for him and for all the bystanders. Then on being ordered to mount the ladder to the gibbet, where he was to be hanged, he meekly obeyed. Then one of the King’s Council, who stood there with many thousand people, who came together to witness the sight, asked him if he would submit to the king’s command and the Act of Parliament, for if he would he should be pardoned. The holy Martyr of Christ answered: ‘I call Almighty God, and I beseech you all in the terrible Day of Judgment, to bear witness, that being here about to die, I publicly declare that not through any pertinacity, malice, or rebellious spirit, do I commit this disobedience and denial of the will of our lord the king, but solely through fear of God, lest I should offend His Supreme Majesty; because our holy mother, the Church,
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