Henry Albert Pierrepoint


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I too thought it a facinating attempt to tell the mans story.

Shame I ain't got a few bob 'cos it would be worth a read, and Knutsford is only a few minutes drive from here.

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Ayup all,

Sorry, Marwood came from Horncastle Lincolnshire, just walked past the plaque on the side of his house, it states "He studied the long drop"

Rog

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Wasn't Henry Albert Pierrepoint, born in Nottinghamshire, the father of the better known Albert Pierrepoint, played by Timothy Spall in the 'Last Hangman'. Albert was born in Bradford after his father moved up there.

Probably out of print now, Alberts biography is a good read, if you like that sort of thing, his uncle was a hangman too.

I wonder if there are Pierrepoint descendants who would be prepared to drop terrorists, a crime which could be construed as treason for which I thought that the death penalty still existed. Mind you, looking at the reaction of the Bali bombers, it's probably best to leave them to rot alone in a cell for the rest of their pathetic evil lives, no Koran, no light, no sense of direction and pork stew dumped in the same bucket they use to relieve themselves, sounds a bit like the treatment our POW's experienced in Iraq doesn't it.

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Wasn't Henry Albert Pierrepoint, born in Nottinghamshire, the father of the better known Albert Pierrepoint, played by Timothy Spall in the 'Last Hangman'. Albert was born in Bradford after his father moved up there.

Probably out of print now, Alberts biography is a good read, if you like that sort of thing, his uncle was a hangman too.

Yes,Henry Albert was his father and Thomas was his uncle.Timothy Spall gave an excellent performance playing Albert although the description of him being the "Last Hangman" is factually incorrect.Referring back to my post on Syd Dernley I think I am right in saying he was only ever an assistant - never the "No 1" at an execution.

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Yes,Henry Albert was his father and Thomas was his uncle.Timothy Spall gave an excellent performance playing Albert although the description of him being the "Last Hangman" is factually incorrect.Referring back to my post on Syd Dernley I think I am right in saying he was only ever an assistant - never the "No 1" at an execution.

True, it was Stewart and Allen, the last hangmen, at the same time.

I have the dubious reputation of knowing the alleged wife of the last person to be hanged, she lived in Yorkshire, and all I'm going to say is that she was a lovely person in the terrible situation of finger pointing about something that she had nothing to do with, she wouldn't talk about it, but others just set the poor woman up, it was appalling to see someone treated this way, the ghouls happily came out of the woodwork to ask stupid questions. How do I know, my ex-father in law ran the Yorkshire pub in which she went for a drink and a bit of friendly comfort, he treated her with the utmost respect, but you know what it's like, the gits heard rumours and wanted to confront her, it was a terrible thing to do and see and it might still go on for all I know, poor woman, I never considered saying anything, but be her pal, which I thankfully was, she had more to offer in life than take advantage of being the wife of the last person to be hung.

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No Mick,Syd Dernley died in 1994.

Just been reading an interview with Syd Dernley,a month before he died.Seemed a different character from Albert Pierrepoint,who liked to treat the condemned with dignity.Most of us would not be willing to do the job he did but he seemed to enjoy it.The Home Office removed him from the list of Official Assistant Executioners.He didn't say why but suspected it may have been for an unsavoury comment he made.Another point regarding Dernley is that he was convicted of publishing obscene material and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment.Don't know any further details.

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Whatever these people had done, hanging sounds a terrible indignity for the body after death, as was shown in the film of Pierrepoint, who was allegedly appalled with the treatment of the Nuremburg deceased. As it was put in the film, Pierrepoint stated that the people had paid for their crimes and what was left should be treated with respect.

Whether I read it in Pierrepoints biography or not, strange things are supposed to happen to the body post hanging, including instant rigor mortis in certain parts of the male anatomy, perhaps Dernley had a wierd perversion about this, who knows, whatever the facts, it must be an odd sort of person carrying out the job of this nature, yes, someone had to do, Pierrepoint came from a family of executioners and possibly felt he had to carry on the line, but it was a hell of a responsibility to put on to a single individual, they must have been a little strange to consider doing it.

In the days of the firing squad, I'm considering WW1 here, wasn't one member of the squad anonymously issued with a blank round to make them feel better about it, though they would know who it was in the end as the recoil wouldn't be so great. Having professional executioners was one thing, but ordering ordinary soldiers to do this must have been terrible for the individuals concerned, I'm sure I would have aimed a few feet from the white paper pinned over the victims hearts, I bet a lot of them did that.

The autopsy question is interesting, did they carry it out on every hung criminal then, what was the point, cause of death, broken neck vertabrae, pretty obvious isn't it, typical bloody form filling exercise that goes on today, refer to Harringey Council.

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yes Russ you are right, the reason he was removed was that after the prisoner was hung the body was left for 1 hour before being prepared for a autopsy (stripped) it was a comment by Sid Dernley regarding the dead mans manhood that got him fired.

What did he say. "Blimey. He's well hung"

Hope I don't get the sack for that comment

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