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Punishing the Criminal Corpse, 1700-1840: Aggravated Forms of the Death Penalty in England (Palgrave Historical Studies in the Criminal Corpse and its Afterlife) 1st ed. 2017 Edition, Kindle Edition

by Peter King (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
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This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 licence. 

This book analyses the different types of post-execution punishments and other aggravated execution practices, the reasons why they were advocated, and the decision, enshrined in the Murder Act of 1752, to make two post-execution punishments, dissection and gibbeting, an integral part of sentences for murder. It traces the origins of the Act, and then explores the ways in which Act was actually put into practice. After identifying the dominance of penal dissection throughout the period, it looks at the abandonment of burning at the stake in the 1790s, the rapid decline of hanging in chains just after 1800, and the final abandonment of both dissection and gibbeting in 1832 and 1834. It concludes that the Act, by creating differentiation in levels of penalty, played an important role within the broader capital punishment system well into the nineteenth century. While eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century historians have extensively studied the ‘Bloody Code’ and the resulting interactions around the ‘Hanging Tree’, they have largely ignored an important dimension of the capital punishment system – the courts extensive use of aggravated and post-execution punishments. With this book, Peter King aims to rectify this neglected historical phenomenon.
Previous page
  1. Edition
    1st ed. 2017
  2. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  3. Publisher
    Palgrave Macmillan
  4. Publication date
    November 6, 2017
  5. Part of series
    Palgrave Historical Studies in the Criminal Corpse and its Afterlife
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    1242 KB
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

This book analyses the different types of post-execution punishments and other aggravated execution practices, the reasons why they were advocated, and the decision, enshrined in the Murder Act of 1752, to make two post-execution punishments, dissection and gibbeting, an integral part of sentences for murder. It traces the origins of the Act, and then explores the ways in which Act was actually put into practice. After identifying the dominance of penal dissection throughout the period, it looks at the abandonment of burning at the stake in the 1790s, the rapid decline of hanging in chains just after 1800, and the final abandonment of both dissection and gibbeting in 1832 and 1834. It concludes that the Act, by creating differentiation in levels of penalty, played an important role within the broader capital punishment system well into the nineteenth century. While eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century historians have extensively studied the ‘Bloody Code’ and the resulting interactions around the ‘Hanging Tree’, they have largely ignored an important dimension of the capital punishment system – the courts extensive use of aggravated and post-execution punishments. With this book, Peter King aims to rectify this neglected historical phenomenon.

About the Author

Peter King is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Leicester, UK. He has published three books and over thirty articles on the history of crime and justice and the history of poverty and welfare in the period 1700-1850. His publications include Crime, Justice and Discretion in England 1740-1820 (2003) and Crime and Law in England 1740-1840: Remaking Justice from the Margins (2006).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07797YNP3
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Palgrave Macmillan; 1st ed. 2017 edition (November 6, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 6, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1242 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 227 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
42 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Niki K
5.0 out of 5 stars Top notch research
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
It's often difficult to find the details of legal debates and social perspectives and outcomes. But, Professor Peter King has done just that. Sit back and read about the often overlooked legal and social influences that effected and, eventually evolved, the Murder Act of 1752.
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Richard Myers
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2018
Verified Purchase
A very detailed study of the criminal systems in place in Great Britain between 1700-1840 and their impact on the population. This is a heavily footnoted book and it shows how much sociological study went in to it. A fascinating book for people to read.
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Top reviews from other countries

noddy
3.0 out of 5 stars good book for a research or writer needing an indepth look at the subject
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 7, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a good book for any researcher or writer seeking to take an indepth look into this subject. However I found the descriptions just too much for me to take. I did plough on but there came a point where I really couldn't stomach any more and I dropped out.
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