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William CalcraftA famous English executioner of the 19th century
Date of Birth: 01.01.1800
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- William Calcraft: The Most Prolific Executioner in British History
- Official Hangman and Notable Executions
- The Last Public Executions
- Later Life and Legacy
- William Calcraft died on Poole Street in Hoxton on December 13, 1879.
William Calcraft: The Most Prolific Executioner in British History
Early Life and CareerWilliam Calcraft was born in 1800 in Baddow, Chelmsford. Initially a shoemaker and later a night watchman at a brewery in Clerkenwell, London, Calcraft struggled to make ends meet. He sold meat pies outside Newgate Prison, where he met John Foxton, London's executioner for over 40 years. This encounter led to Calcraft's new occupation, flogging juvenile offenders at Newgate for 10 shillings a week.
Official Hangman and Notable Executions
Following Foxton's death in 1829, Calcraft was officially appointed as his successor. His first executions were Thomas Lister and George Wingfield, who were hanged on May 27, 1829. Esther Hibner, known as the 'Monster of Depravity,' became the first woman Calcraft executed for starving (or drowning) her apprentice, Frances Colppits. Hibner was not led to the scaffold willingly; she had to be put in a straitjacket to prevent her from attacking the executioner. The crowd cheered "Hooray for Calcraft!" as he carried out the sentence.
Among Calcraft's most famous executions was François Courvoisier, who was hanged in 1840 for murdering his master, Lord William Russell, and stealing family silver. Calcraft also executed the husband and wife, Marie and Frederick Manning, in 1849, which had not occurred since 1700. The Mannings killed Marie's wealthy lover, Patrick O'Connor, for his money.
The Last Public Executions
Controversial Methods and IncompetenceDespite his 45-year career as executioner, Calcraft was widely regarded as incompetent. He often "botched" executions, as his victims would drop less than a meter from the scaffold, causing prolonged strangulation rather than instant death. Historians believe Calcraft employed this cruel method to entertain the crowds, which sometimes exceeded 30,000 people.
Later Life and Legacy
Once he reached old age, Calcraft was relieved of his duties. His lack of competence was exemplified by the execution of Joseph Welsh. In 1869, Calcraft was ordered to pay three shillings a week to his impoverished mother, Sarah. He objected, claiming it should be his siblings' responsibility since he had his children to support. However, no records were found of Calcraft ever getting married.
Spending his retirement with a pension of 25 shillings a week, Calcraft was succeeded by William Marwood as executioner. Despite being considered a "genius" in his youth and raising rabbits as a hobby, Calcraft became a "gloomy, almost sinister-looking, long-haired, bearded man in shabby black clothes with a dangling watch chain" in his later years.
