The hangman

[jethorp]

 I have read through these posts again and something stuck me from when I was a child that I had forgotten about.
In the 1950,s I lived in Oldham and as a child I was forever told to " Dont dump your coat there hang it up!!" my mother would then shout" And use the Calcraft!! " This is what we were told was the name for the loop in the inside of the collar.
Has anyone else heard of this?

[Sam Hall]

William Bull is my 3x great uncle who was also convicted at the tender age of 14 years to 14 days hard labour for rape but of who I do not know as of yet .
All this has been a shock but existing at the same time to find out

[jaybelnz]

There's an interesting blog about Calcraft here, including a photo.

https://blog.findmypast.com/william-calcraft-the-man-who-hanged-450-1406156991.html

[a-l]

Correct me If I'm wrong , wasn't it Calcraft who accidently decapitated a prisoner?                                                        A Jamaican friend told me about a hangman they had there. Apparently he enjoyed his job a bit too much and then one day he had to hang his own son.

[stanmapstone]

Correct me If I'm wrong , wasn't it Calcraft who accidently decapitated a prisoner?                                                       

That was James Berry. During the execution of Robert Goodale on 30 November 1885 at Norwich, the prisoner was given too long a drop so that the rope decapitated him. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Berry_%28executioner%29

Stan

[jaybelnz]

I have read through these posts again and something stuck me from when I was a child that I had forgotten about.
In the 1950,s I lived in Oldham and as a child I was forever told to " Dont dump your coat there hang it up!!" my mother would then shout" And use the Calcraft!! " This is what we were told was the name for the loop in the inside of the collar.
Has anyone else heard of this?

Jethorp - I wonder if it is a spin off from the term "hanging loop" which was apparently a tailoring or dressmaking term used to refer to that loop inside a collar?  Certainly makes sense!  Also sometimes called a locker loop!

I'm not at all clever, but Mr Google is always clever!! 😄😄

Cert

[a-l]

Stan,thankyou very much for the information, much appreciated.

[jethorp]

Oh my word!! So mum was right bless her. How I wish  mum was around so she would know her "loud instuctions" (as we used to call her tellings off!! ) were based on an actual person. Well done Ma !!!!

[jaybelnz]

  Jethorp tch tch! 

Surely you should have learnt by now that Mothers (and wives of course) are ALWAYS right!