Horrible History: The York Gallows

The York Tyburn Gallows

 
Originally a gibbet for hangings or the display of felons to serve as warning to others, the area that is now on Tadcaster Road has a long history of retribution against criminals.
 
Knavesmire, one of the largely undeveloped areas of the city of York, was the site of many public hangings from 1379 when the gallows were first erected.
 
Also known as the York Tyburn, after the Tyburn gallows in Middlesex, the most famous criminal executed at the York gallows was highwayman Dick Turpin.
  
The last public hanging at Knavesmire was in 1801, as the local leaders decided that the gallows were not a good first impression for visitors to York to see. The gallows were then moved to a location near York Castle. 
The Knavesmire was the site of York Golf course, and a large part of it is occupied by the York Racecourse.

Nowadays, there is a small plaque at the original site to mark the position of the scaffold.

Executions in York

Execution days were normally on a Friday afternoon and were a rowdy affair, often with the whole city turning out to view the spectacle.
 
Much like during football days in modern times, the pubs of the era would be at bursting point with people enjoying a beer or two before the festivities of someone being hanged and quartered. 
   
Although York only had a population of around 16,000 by the turn of the 19th century, it was also a very important and prosperous city that hosted the Royal family regularly. For this reason it was felt that the detection and dispensing of criminals at the Gallows was very important business.
 
In 1800 the city decided that a new gallows was required, and spent the princely sum of £10/15 (10 pounds and 15 shillings, a lot of money in those days). The new gallows was used for only a short period, with the last execution being of Edward Hughes on the 29th of August 1801 for rape.
 
After this final execution the York Gallows were made redundant as legislation was passed that all executions were to be carried out indoors and were thus carried out in York Castle.The scaffold stood a further 11 years until they were dismantled in 1812.
 

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