Exhibition highlights life of Victorian hangman

An exhibition highlights the life of a Lincolnshire hangman who pioneered a new method of executions.

William Marwood was born near Horncastle in 1818 and worked as a cobbler in the town and also as a Methodist lay preacher.

He also doubled up as a public executioner and introduced the long drop system where a longer rope length was used ensuring that the condemned person broke their neck and died instantly, rather than being slowly strangled.

The exhibition at the Joseph Banks Centre in Horncastle has been researched and organised by the Horncastle History and Heritage Society.

The society said it "explores Marwood's complex character and the truth behind his reputation.

"Visitors can also discover more about crime and punishment in Victorian Britain, and Marwood's role in some of the most notorious criminal cases that shocked 19th Century society.

"It reveals the roots of a figure who became a household name in Victorian England, and whose waxwork once graced the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's."

Marwood's long drop method was used for the first time at Lincoln Castle in 1872 on a man called William Horry who was convicted of murdering his wife.

Charles Peace a notorious burglar and murderer from Sheffield was also executed by Marwood in Leeds in 1879.

The free exhibition runs from 25 June until 30 September between 10:00 and 16:00 BST from Thursday to Saturday.

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