Executions & Horrible Tortures From Olden Times

Executions & Horrible Tortures From Olden Times

By

James Creamwood

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Published by

James Creamwood at Smashwords

Executions & Horrible Tortures From Olden Times

Copyright © 2014 James Creamwood

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a new work based on the work called Bygone Punishments, by William Andrews

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

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Chapter 1

Beheading

Beheading as a form of punishment began many centuries ago, perhaps even back in the dark times before recorded history. It was a cheap and easy method of execution because there were always plenty of axes and swords available. The Roman's regarded beheading as an honorable way of death, and would use it on their own countrymen while crucifying those from other nations.

The bible provides some of the earliest examples of beheading, and perhaps the best known of these, involves the execution of John the Baptist. He was decapitated for denouncing Antipas Herod for leaving his wife and then engaging in an adulterous relationship with the daughter of the Arabian King, Aretas. Herod had a feast on his birthday, and invited a large number of the local dignitaries o celebrate with him. His daughter, Salome, performed a dance that so delighted her drunken father, he promised to give her whatever her heart desired.

The young girl wasn't sure what to ask for, so she went to seek the advice of her mother Herodias. After considering the matter, the mother told her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. When Herod heard her request, he was reluctant to grant it because he feared the wrath of God for killing one of his prophets. However, he also feared breaking his promise in front of his guests, and decided to grant her wish.

One of the most famous Roman's beheaded was Gnaeus Pompeius, who severed as a co-consul with Julius Caesar for a time. He was married to Caesar's daughter, Julia, but after her death the two men became rivals for power. This resulted in a civil war, and when Pompey was defeated at the Battle of Pharsalus, he fled to Egypt seeking refuge. He was beheaded by the Ptolemy XIII, who thought that Caesar would be pleased, but instead, the Roman Emperor had the assassins killed.

Beheading was first introduced into England by William the Conqueror, because he thought that it would be a better, and more humane way of putting to death those criminals from the higher levels of society. The first person to suffer beheading was Waltheof II, the first Earl of Huntingdon, Northampton, and Northumberland. He was executed at St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester,on May 31, 1076. The Earl was executed for engaging in a conspiracy with others against King William. After his execution, he was considered a martyr by many of the English people at that time.

Starting with the first Norman king, and down through the time of George II in 1747, many notable members of English nobility ended their ignoble careers on the chopping block at the hands of the executioner. Perhaps the most famous king to have been beheaded was Charles I; he was executed on January 30, 1649. for treason. Charles offended many of his Protestant subjects by marrying a French Catholic princess. There was much political opposition to his rule; therefore, he dissolved Parliament and decided to rule without it. This resulted in a bitter power struggle leading to the first English civil war.

The opposition forces were led by Oliver Cromwell, and they won major victories against the king's forces at Marston Moor in 1644, and at Naseby the following year. In 1646, King Charles I was forced to surrender to the Scottish army, two years later, he was convicted of treason and sentenced to have his head chopped from his shoulders.

It was rather cold outside, the morning of the king's execution, and he became concerned that the temperatures might make him shiver. He didn't want people to think that any shaking was caused by fear, so he asked for two shirts to to cover himself, saying:

the season is so sharp as probably may make me shake, which some observers may imagine proceeds from fear. I would have no such imputation.

Charles was transferred from St. Jame's Place, where he had been held, to the Palace at Whitehall, where the execution was to take place. At about two in the afternoon, Charles said a prayer, and lay his head on the chopping block. He then stretched out his hands to signal the headsman, that he was ready. The executioner then raised his axe and took off the king's head with one well executed stroke. Some of the people who came to witness the king's beheading used handkerchiefs to soak up his blood as a gruesome souvenir of the historic event.

After the king's execution, the monarchy was abolished, with Oliver Cromwell assuming leadership of the new English Commonwealth. When he died in 1658, his son Richard assumed his position, until he was forced to flee to France the following year. The monarchy was then restored with Charles I son, Charles II, being crowned king.

The new ruler then had Cromwell posthumously tried for treason. After being convicted, his dead body was disinterred and transported to Tyburn, where it was hanged from the gallows.

Mary Queen of Scots, was the Catholic ruler of Scotland, and as such had a claim to the English throne, which was supported by the Catholics there. Mary presented a threat to her cousin Elizabeth, the Protestant queen of England; and therefore, she was arrested and imprisoned at Lock Leven Castle. Mary managed to escape there in May of 1568, and tried to raise an army to help her reclaim the throne. This proved to be unsuccessful and she forced to leave Scotland for England. When she arrived there, Elizabeth had her arrested and locked up.

Queen Elizabeth's advisors tried to persuade her to execute her cousin, but she stubbornly refused their advice. During the next few years, two Catholic plots were uncovered that intended to assassinate Elizabeth and place her Mary on the English throne.

Finally, after eighteen years in prison, Mary was charged with treason and brought to trial for her role in the plots against the English queen in October 1586. She was found guilty on October 25 of that year, and sentenced to death. Elizabeth was reluctant at first to sign Mary's death warrant, but eventually relented in February of 1587.

A few days later, on February 8, Mary was taken to an indoor scaffold constructed in the Great Hall of the castle, which had been draped in black. The executioners were a man named Bull and his assistant. An eyewitness to the execution provided the following account of what happened after the executioners knelled down before Mary and asked for her forgiveness and her reply, which was:

I forgive you with all my heart, for now, I hope, you shall make an end of all my troubles.

Mary Queen of Scots then knelt down on the velvet cushion that had been placed in front of the chopping block. She was then blindfolded before she lay her head down on the wooden block and said her final words.

The headsman then delivered his blow, and what should have been accomplished in one swing of the blade took several terrible blows. The first of these cuts hit the back of Mary's head and she is reported to have said, Sweet Jesus. The next swing of the axe severed most of her neck, but not completely. Her head was still attached to her body by a thin strip of sinew, which the executioner then cut with a third swing of his axe.

After the executioner had finished his job, he held up the severed head, and yelled out, God save the Queen. While he was showing off his prize, it suddenly fell from his grasp, leaving the dead woman's auburn wig in his hand. The crowd could then see the Scottish queens, natural hair which was cut very short and gray in color.

A rumor circulated that Mary's small dog had been concealed in her clothing while she was being executed, and refused to abandon her corpse. Some say that the poor thing was covered in blood and had to be forcibly removed and washed.

Mary wrote a final letter to her brother-in-law, King Henri III of France shortly before she was executed. In the pages of her farewell, she wrote the Following:

I scorn death and vow that I meet it innocent of any crime, even if I were their subject, she wrote, The Catholic faith and the assertion of my God-given right to the English crown are the two issues on which I am condemned, and yet I am not allowed to say that it is for the Catholic religion that I die, but for fear of interference with theirs

The following is a CATHOLIC REPORT OF QUEEN MARY’S EXECUTION (By an anonymous Catholic witness present at the execution.):

"Report of the death of that rare and princely martyr Mary Stuart, late Queen of Scotland, executed for her conscience at Fotheringay Castle, the 8th of February, 1587.

First in the hall of the said castle was a stage, raised of seven feet square every way, and about five feet in height. At the two upper corners were two stools set, one for the Earl of Shrewsbury, another for the Earl of Kent; directly between the said stools was placed a block one foot high, covered with black, and before that stood a little cushion stool for the queen to sit on while her apparel was taken off. Round about the stage stood the high sheriff, with others appointed for the purpose.

About nine a.m., came that sweet saint and martyr, led like a lamb to the butchery, attired in a gown of black satin embroidered with a French kind of embroidery of black velvet; her hair seemly trussed up with a veil of white lawn, which covered her head and all her other apparel down to the foot. Being come into the hall, she stayed, and with a smiling countenance asked Shrewsbury why none of her own servants were suffered to be present. He answered that the queen his mistress had so commanded. Alas, quoth she, far meaner persons than myself have not been denied so small a favour, and I hope the queen’s majesty will not deal so hardly with me. Madam, quoth Shrewsbury, it is so appointed to avoid two inconveniences, the one that it is likely your people will shriek and make some fearful noise in the time of your execution, and so both trouble you and us, or else press with some disorder to get of your blood and keep it for a relic and minister offense that way. My lord, answered she, I pray you for my better quietness of mind let me have some of my servants about me, and I will give you my word that they shall not offend in any sort.

Upon which promise two of her women and five of her men were sent for, who coming into the hall, and seeing the place of execution prepared and their sovereign mistress expecting death, they began to cry out in most woeful and pitiful sort; wherewith she held up her hand, willing them for her sake to forbear and be silent, for, quoth she, I have passed my word to these lords that you shall be quiet and not offend them:" and presently there appeared in them a wonderful show of subjection, and loyal obedience, as to their natural prince, whom even at the instant of death they honored with all reverence and duty. For though their breasts were seen to rise and swell as if their wounded  hearts would have burst in sunder, yet did they to their double grief forbear their outward plaints to accomplish her pleasure.

As soon as she was upon the stage, there came to her a heretic, called Doctor Fletcher, dean of  Peterborough, and told her how the queen his sovereign, moved with an unspeakable care of her soul, had sent him to instruct and comfort her in the true words of God. At which she somewhat turned her face towards him, saying, Mr. Doctor, I will have nothing to do with you, nor your doctrine;" and forthwith knelled down before the block, and began her meditation in most godly manner. Then the doctor entered also into a form of new-fashioned prayers; but the better to prevent the hearing of him, she raised her voice, and prayed so loud, as he could not be understood.

The Earl of Shrewsbury then spoke to her, and told her that he would pray with her, and for her. My lord, quoth she, if you will pray for me I thank you; but, in so doing, pray secretly by yourself, for we will not pray together." Her mediations ended, she arose up and kissed her two gentlewomen, and bowed her body towards her men, and charged them to remember her to her sweet son, to whom she sent her blessing, with promise to pray for him in heaven; and lastly to salute her friends, and so took her last farewell of her poor servants.

The executioners then began, after their rough and rude manner, to disrobe her, and while they were so doing, she looked upon the noblemen, and smilingly said, Now truly, my lords, I never had two such grooms waiting on me before! Then, being ready for the block, one of her women took forth a handkerchief of cambric, all wrought over with gold needlework, and tied it about her face; which done, Fletcher willed her to die in the true faith of Christ. Quoth she, I believe firmly to be saved by the passion and blood of Jesus Christ, and therein also I believe, according to the faith of the Ancient Catholic Church of Rome, and therefore I shed my blood. She finished her happy and  blessed martyrdom to the comfort of all true Catholics, and to the shame and confusion of all heretics."

AFTER THE EXECUTION

Henry Gorman wrote the following account of what had taken place in London and in the world when they heard of the death of Mary Queen of Scots:

"In London, pealing church bells and blazing bonfires and wild demonstrations of joy in the streets while a haggard-eyed queen cursed Burghley, heaped obloquy on Davison and cried out that Marie had been executed against her will.

"In Scotland, furious raids across the Border into England by nobles half-mad with grief while a young king ‘moved never his countenance at the rehearsal of his mother’s execution nor leaves not his pastime and hunting more than before.’

"In Paris, deepest sorrow and chanting priests in the Cathedral of Notre Dame and sulphurous threats from Henri III as he refused audience to the English ambassador and arrested the couriers and despatches of Elizabeth at Dieppe and commanded an embargo on all English vessels in French ports.

"In Spain, renewed activity as the spider of the Escurial gathered his fighting men and his high-powered galleons and his stores of cannon for the great blow intended to destroy Protestant England.

In Fotheringhay, a dust-covered canopy of state lying neglected in a storeroom and upon its front in letters of fading gold:  En ma fin est mon commencement."

There was probably no one in history who loved a good beheading more than Henry VIII, especially if it was a member of his own family. In fact, it is estimated that he ordered around one hundred and twenty people per month; although, not all of these were beheading. Some claim that he killed approximately 54,000 people during the 38 years he reigned, while others put the number as high as 72,000.

King Henry VII, Henry's father was hated by much of the population because of the underhanded ways he would tax his subjects. The two men who were most responsible for carrying out the king's financial polices were named Sir Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley. The English people hated these men, and Henry the VIII used this fact to help increase his popularity when he came to power. He had the two men arrested, and convicted them of embezzling money using very flimsy evidence. Afterwards, the two men were beheaded in public executions on August 17, 1510.

Henry wanted a male heir, but his first wife, Catherine Aragon, seemed incapable of giving him one. Since the Catholic Church wouldn't allow him to annul his marriage, he broke with the church. Henry married Anne in a secret ceremony performed by the archbishop of Canterbury, on January 25, 1533. A few months later, Anne gave birth to a baby girl who wound grow up to become Elizabeth I. After Anne failed to give him a male heir, he looked for a good reason to end his marriage to her.

Anne Boleyn was arrested on May 2, 1536, and taken to the Tower of London by barge, where she was charged with a number of crimes including incest, adultery, witchcraft, and conspiring to kill the king.

A few day later, on May 6, she wrote a letter to Henry containing the following:

"Sir,

"Your Grace's displeasure, and my imprisonment are things so strange unto me, as what to write, or what to excuse, I am altogether ignorant. Unto me, as what to write, or what to excuse, I am altogether ignorant. Whereas you send unto me (willing me to confess at truth, and so obtain your favor) by such an one, whom you know to be my ancient professed enemy. I no sooner received this message by him, than I rightly conceived your meaning: and if, as you say, confessing a truth indeed may procure my safety, I shall with all willingness and duty perform your demand.

"But let not your Grace ever imagine that your poor wife will ever be brought to acknowledge a fault, where not so much as a thought thereof preceded. And to speak a truth, never prince had wife more loyal in all duty, and in all true affection, than you have ever found in Anne Boleyn: with which name and place I could willingly have contented myself, if God and your Grace's pleasure had been so pleased. Neither did I at any time so far forget myself in my exaltation or received Queensip, but that I always looked for such an alteration I knew was fit and sufficient to draw that fancy to some other object.

"You have chosen me from a low estate, to be your Queen and companion, far beyond my desert or desire. If then you found me worthy of such honor, good your Grace let not any light fancy, or bad council of mine enemies, withdraw your princely favor from me; neither let that strain, that unworthy stain, or a disloyal heart toward your good grace, ever cast so foul a blot on your most dutiful wife, and the infant-princess your daughter.

"Try me, good king, but let me have a lawful trial, and let not my sworn enemies sit as my accusers and judges; yea let me receive an open trial, for my truth shall fear no open flame; then shall you see either my innocence cleared, your suspicion and conscience satisfied, the ignominy and slander of the world, or my guilt openly declared.

"So that whatsoever God or you may determine of me, your grace may be freed of an open censure, and mine offense being so lawfully proved, your grace is at liberty, both before God and man,not only to execute worthy punishment on me as an unlawful wife, but to follow your affection, already settled