Crime -- Great Britain; Criminals -- Great Britain; Executions and executioners; Tyburn gallows (London, England)
=1267.= It happened about the Feast of Saint Katherine [November 25]
in this year, that a dispute arose between certain of the craft of the
goldsmiths and certain of the craft of tailors: to whom adhered, on the
one side and the other, some of the trade of the parmenters [dealers in
broadcloth] and some of the tawyers [who prepared fine leather], which
persons held great assemblages, and for three nights together went armed
through the streets of the City, creating most severe conflicts among
themselves. Hence, without doubt, as was said, more than five hundred of
these mischievous persons were collected together at night, and in the
affray many of them were wounded: but still, no one would act a part that
belongs only to the Bailiffs. For every one was waiting by force of arms
to take vengeance on his adversary, against the peace and his own fealty
to his lordship the King: the Bailiffs and discreet men of the City
understanding which, had more than thirty of them seized and imprisoned
in Newgate: and these, on the Friday next after the Feast of Saint
Katherine, appeared before Laurence de Broc, the Justiciar assigned for
gaol delivery, who took proceedings against them in the King’s behalf,
saying that they, against the peace and their fealty to his lordship
the King, had gone armed in the City, and had at night wickedly and
feloniously wounded some persons, and had slain others, whose bodies, it
was said, had been thrown into the Thames.
They however denied violence and injury, &c., and as to the same put
themselves upon the verdict of the venue. But on the morrow, those who
by the said venue were found to have been in the conflict aforesaid,
were, by the judgment of the said Justiciar, immediately hanged, although
not one among them had been convicted of homicide, mayhem, or robbery.
Hence, one Geoffrey, surnamed “de Beverley,” a parmenter by trade,
because certain of those misdoers had armed themselves in his house,
and he himself had been present with them in arms in the said affray,
was hanged, together with twelve others who had been indicted, as well
goldsmiths as parmenters and tawyers. All this however was done that
others, put in awe thereby, might take warning, that so the peace of
his lordship the King by all within the City might be the more rigidly
maintained.[120]
=1278.= In the month of November in this year all Jews throughout England
were seized on the same day, and imprisoned in London, for clipping the
king’s coin. And the Jews gave information as to very many Christians in
league with them, and chiefly among the more renowned of London. On this
occasion two hundred and eighty Jews of both sexes were hanged at London:
in other cities of England a very great multitude. The king exacted an
immense sum for the ransom of the Christians, some of whom also were
delivered to the gallows.[121]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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