In England, hanging was the principal form of execution from Anglo-Saxon times up to abolition in 1964. In early times the prisoner was either hanged from a branch of a convenient tree or from a simple gallows where he was turned off using the back of a cart or from a ladder. There were hundreds of executions a year in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries with the greatest number being
carried out at Tyburn near what is now Marble Arch, in London.
Between 1830 and 1964, around 1500 people suffered death by hanging in Britain. Executions were carried out in public until 1868 and from then on within the walls of County prisons. A few witnesses, including reporters were admitted up to about 1900 but thereafter executions were carried out in complete secrecy. The last hangings were two carried out simultaneously at 8.00 a.m. the 13th August 1964 in Walton and Strangeways prisons.
As in early Persia, hanging apparently met the needs of justice well,
attracting large crowds who were at least supposed to be deterred by it, but who
more probably went for the general excitement and a day out. (The modern
expression Gala Day is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word for gallows day.)
Hanging is still the second most widely used method of execution in the world. At least 65 people were hanged in 1998 in some 10 countries.
Hanging produces death by strangulation (asphyxia) due to the wieght of the persons body pulling down on the noose, causing it to tighten, so constricting the trachea (air passage) and applying pressure to the large blood vessels in the neck. The condemned usually struggles for some time after suspention due to the physical pain caused by the noose.
It can take several minutes for the person to lapse into unconsciousness. After suspention the face may become engorged and cyanosed (turn blue through lack of oxygen). The toungue may protrude and rippling movements of the body and limbs may occur which are usually attributed to nervous and muscular reflexes.
After death the body usually shows marks of suspention, e.g. bruising and abrasion of the neck together with traces of urine, semen, and faeces.
This form of death by asphyxia is known medically as anoxia and is the normal cause of death in suicide and hangings where there is no proper drop. The brain becomes starved of oxygen and death results usually within less than twenty minutes.
Hanging was first used as a method of execution in Persia (now Iran) about 2500 years ago for male criminals only, (women were strangled at the stake for the sake of decency!) It was considered ideal as it produced a highly visible deterrent without the blood and gore of beheading, being simple and cheap toperform and not requiring a skilled executioner.
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