The Trials and Execution of John Attel for Burglary, and William Hatchman, Charlotte Newman, and Mary Ann James for Forgery, who were Executed this Morning, before the Debtor's Door, Old Bailey

ID:

A2242

Production date:

1818

Location:

In Store

Execution broadside printed with an account of the crime, trials and public execution of the prisoners John Attel (aged 33) convicted of burglary, and William Hatchman (aged 25), Mary Ann James (aged 20) and Charlotte Newman (aged 33) convicted of forgery. Printed by George Pigott the broadside includes a generic woodcut engraving of the Newgate gallows surrounded by a crowd of spectators and reports that 'since the order for their execution arrived' the behaviour of the prisoners 'has been truly penitent'. The broadside concludes with a transcript of a dying confession letter written by one of the convicted criminals to her mother.  < ...Read more

Execution broadside printed with an account of the crime, trials and public execution of the prisoners John Attel (aged 33) convicted of burglary, and William Hatchman (aged 25), Mary Ann James (aged 20) and Charlotte Newman (aged 33) convicted of forgery. Printed by George Pigott the broadside includes a generic woodcut engraving of the Newgate gallows surrounded by a crowd of spectators and reports that 'since the order for their execution arrived' the behaviour of the prisoners 'has been truly penitent'. The broadside concludes with a transcript of a dying confession letter written by one of the convicted criminals to her mother.

Until 1868 public hangings were a popular form of entertainment for the London crowd. Such occasions provided an opportunity for cheap printers and street vendors to 'turn a penny on the street' by selling accounts of the crimes, trial and 'dying speeches' of executed criminals as souvenirs to the baying spectactors. As soon as the trap fell the street vendors began running amongst the crowd selling the broadsides. Execution broadsides were published by a small number of printers many of whom, such as Thomas Birt, James Catnach and James Pitts were based around the Seven Dials area of London. Spelling and grammar was often poor and the details not always accurate. Although ususally printed between the end of the trial and the date of the execution (usually a gap of a few weeks) they could be quickly changed to accomodate last minute information such as reprieves and dying confessions. The printers often used battered woodcuts, and, for the gallows scene used a stock block with a pierced central section to allow the sex and required number of hanging figures to be changed as required. Female criminals were depicted by using a block for a male figure, cut square at the knee to represent a skirt. < Hide

Measurements

H 370 mm

Materials

paper

Last Updated

2024-03-26