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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Devon => Topic started by: jannergray on Thursday 24 June 10 22:38 BST (UK)
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Hi everyone
I wonder if anyone can help me.
Im tracing the history of a man who was hung for murder at Heavitree, Exeter in 1760.
My question is where would he have been buried? And are there any burial registers???
All the best
Graham
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Is within the grounds of the prison not usual?
Pauline
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Hi Pauline
Im under the impression that the gallows were not in the grounds of the prison... but someone may prove me wrong!
Graham
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Hi Graham,not to sure of where they'd be buried.but the gallows were not far from where I live,some years back someone digging in the gardens on the old Honiton Road found various skeletons.they proved to be the bones of various executed 'witches'.The Heavitree History Society might know the answer,I'm busy for a couple of weeks ,but will look their phone no out for you.
Barb
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Hi Graham
Just for interest have you seen this site?
http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/executed.php
Mo
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Hi Graham,
Depnding on the crime he was hung for, and a variety of other factors, he may well have been buried in consecrated ground; possibly in his home town or village.
I researched a similar case from a similar period some years ago, where a man had been executed for burglary and handling stolen goods. As his crime did not involve the taking of human life, his body was released to his family, and he was buried in the family grave, some 40 miles from the scene of his execution.
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Hi
Since he was hung for murder after 1751 this website gives detailed information
http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/hanging1.html
'The Murder Act 1751
The Murder Act included the provision "for better preventing the horrid crime of murder".... "that some further terror and peculiar mark of infamy be added to the punishment", and that "in no case whatsoever shall the body of any murderer be suffered to be buried",by mandating either public dissection or "hanging in chains" of the cadaver. The act also stipulated that a person found guilty of murder should be executed within 2 days of being found guilty unless the execution would happen of a Friday in which case the execution should take place on the Saturday.'
from Wikipedia
The Anatomy Act 1832 widened the use of bodies for dissection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy_Act_1832
Regards
Valda
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Thanks everyone for your help and ideas.
I've got a feeling the guy that was hung (Edward Hingston) was local to the Plymouth area possibly Plymstock/Noss Mayo area...
He murdered Mordecai Solomon, a Jew. Trying to trace his burial I think will be even harder!
All the best
Graham
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Hi Graham
I know of two sites for Gallows in Exeter. The first was at Livery Dole, Heavitree and the other is near Middlemoor at the beginning of the B3181 from the A 3015. There is a plaque there .
Without further searching, those are the only 2 that I know of personally.
As for his burial, I can't help you, sorry
If it was Mordecai's burial then I might be able to help.
Nainmaddie
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Hi Nainmaddie
Thanks ever so much for your help and information. It's much appreciated.
If you were able to trace a burial for Mordecai SOLOMON that would be excellent. Mordecai was murdered in Plymouth in the beginning days of January 1760. I believe however that he was from Exeter since he had some form of connection with a guy called Ezekiel ABRAHAM of Exeter.
If you can shed any light on where Mordecai might be buried I'd be very interested indeed.
Thanks
Graham
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Hi
http://www.gentfamily.plus.com/exeshul/
Follow the button for 'our history' and it takes you to detailed information on the Jewish burial ground
Regards
Valda
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Hi Valda
Thanks for this - its a wonderful site and fascinating about the Jewish cemetery - alas no sign of Mordecai Solomon...!
All the best
Graham
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Plymouth Hoe Jewish Burials has a site that you can look up names.
I just googled and up it came, the same with the synagogue, and I forgot to write them down !!
Hope it helps
Maddie
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A book that I have "Reminiscences of Exeter" published in 1878 lists the executions in Devonshire since 1794, however it also states that "before the goal was built the executions for the county were held at Ringwell, about two miles on the London road. The prisoners were taken through Heavitree in carts, each sitting on a coffin. After they were cut down they were buried near the same spot" This explains the previous posting that bones were found in this area.
Silvertonhistory
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I may be a bit late for this topic, but I have been compiling a page of those executed in Exeter for the past two years. I have recently updated the page with some new names and also noted those buried in St Sidwell's parish. The page starts by listing the various places of execution and places of burial, both for Exeter executions and Devon executions. See
http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/EM/executed.php
Added 26th July - note that the list is still a work in progress and I have to add some more extracts from the early Flying Post.
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Hi David
Thank you so much for your posting.
I have learnt so much from your list. I have no ancestors from Exeter, nor any in Devon that I know of, that misbehaved to come to an execution. Amazing that some of them only stole a sheep !!
Nainmaddie
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usually in the prison grounds or if not the local cemetery in a paupers grave...but the records would be in the cemetery office on site...
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Hi
see my previous post with this link
http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/hanging1.html
on what happened to the bodies of many criminals (certainly those that committed murder) after 1751
'From 1752 the bodies of executed murderers were not returned to their relatives for burial....The 1752 "Act for the better preventing the horrid Crime of Murder", usually known as the "Murder Act", mandated the dissection of the bodies of executed murderers (including females ones) or gibbeting for male murderers in particularly heinous cases.....Up to 1832, except in a case of murderer where the court had ordered dissection or gibbeting, it was usual for the criminal's body to be claimed by friends or relatives for burial. This burial could take place in consecrated ground provided that the person had not committed murder....Dissection was removed from the statute book on the 1st of August 1832, by the Anatomy Act. The same act directed that the bodies of executed criminals belonged to the Crown and were now to be buried in the prison grounds in unmarked graves, often several to a grave to save space. Typically the person was placed into a cheap pine coffin, or even a sack and covered with quicklime which was thought to hasten the process of decomposition of the body.....The Capital Punishment Amendment Act of 1868 required that a formal inquest be held after an execution and that the prisoner be buried within the grounds of the prison unless directed otherwise by the sheriff of the county. This practice continued up to abolition'
Most cemeteries were created after 1832.
Regards
Valda
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usually people executed were buried in the prison grounds .if not a paupers grave in the cemetery.or if the relatives had money in the local cemetery with a headstone.hope this helps....