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The History of Gibbeting - Britain's Most Brutal Punishment - cover

The History of Gibbeting - Britain's Most Brutal Punishment

Samantha Priestley

Publisher: Pen & Sword History

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Summary

An eye-opening guide to the public execution practice of hanging criminals in body-shaped cages as a crime deterrent or religious punishment.  
 
The history of gibbeting is the story of one of Britain’s most brutal forms of punishments, the hanging of criminals in a body shaped metal cage as a warning and as a form of justice. From the folklore of live gibbetings to the eerie historical documenting of this weird post-execution tradition, The History of Gibbeting examines how and why we dealt with murderers and other serious criminals in this way. The book uses case studies through history and takes a look at how the introduction of the Murder Act shaped our relationship with gibbeting for years to come, and how we as a society demanded the most shocking post-mortem treatment of criminals. Whether gibbeting was ever a successful deterrent, it is still a fascination today and gibbet cages remain on display in museums all over the country. 
 
“I have to say that I was not aware that gibbeting involved metal cages, nor how society clamored for post-mortems on gibbeted victims. Absolutely fascinating, but not for the faint-hearted!” —Books Monthly
Available since: 03/30/2020.
Print length: 160 pages.

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