Major new Museum of London Docklands exhibition uncovers London’s 700 year history of public executions

This Friday, the Museum of London Docklands opens Executions, a new major exhibition exploring the capital’s history of public punishment, from the first recorded public execution in 1196 to the last in 1868.

More frequent in London than any other British city, the capital (known as the City of Gallows) was host to some the most high profile public executions, as well as those of thousands of unknown and forgotten Londoners. From Smithfield to Southwark, Banqueting House to Newgate Prison, executions became embedded in London’s landscape. Even today, hints of this past can be found across the capital.

Bringing together the rarely told and often tragic human stories behind these events, the exhibition reveals the social, cultural and economic impact of public executions over 700 years.

Amongst the extraordinary items going on display — many for the first time — are an intricately woven silk vest said to have been worn by King Charles I at his execution, a 300-year-old bedsheet embroidered with a love note in human hair, and items belonging to the prison reformer Elizabeth Fry.

Visitors can stand in front of the imposing Newgate Prison door, which marked the last steps for many prisoners between the notoriously squalid Newgate Prison and the scaffold; listen to moving last letters that reveal the experiences of ordinary Londoners; and stand amidst a dramatic recreation of the infamous Tyburn ‘Triple Tree’ gallows, the centrepiece of the exhibition.

Visitors can learn more about the 200 offences — from treason to theft — that were punishable by death, the spectacle and rituals of execution days and the lives and crimes of celebrity criminals that captured the public imagination. Other sections will explore the economy around execution day and how these visible demonstrations of state power became embedded in popular culture through music, theatre and literature. In the exhibition’s final chapter, there will be a look at how reforming approaches to crime and punishment and the emergence of a new Victorian moral code uncomfortable with public pain and suffering contributed to the decline and abolition of public executions.

Beverley Cook, Curator of Social & Working History at the Museum of London, said: “Public executions were a very visible part of Londoners’ lives for many centuries, with some events attracting tens of thousands of people. This idea may seem remote to us now but many of the themes covered in the exhibition will be surprisingly familiar to Londoners today – the struggle to protect an urban population from crime, and the enduring issues of poverty, a rising population, discrimination and domestic violence. But it will also reveal the resourcefulness and resilience of Londoners, characteristics still recognisable to those of us who have the privilege of living in London today.”

Tickets are available through the Museum of London website starting from £12. The recommended age for the exhibition is 12+. For further details, please visit: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london/whats-on/exhibitions/executions

Notes for editors

For more press information please contact Ashton Bainbridge, PR Manager at the Museum of London on [email protected] / 07967313176

Press images are available HERE.

Listings information

Executions

Open 14 October 2022- 16 April 2023

Museum of London Docklands, No.1 Warehouse, West India Quay, London E14 4AL

Executions explores London's 700-year history of public punishment through the stories, objects and legacies of those that lived, died and witnessed the events first hand. Find out more about its impact on London’s landscape, society and economy, the 200 offences that were punishable by death, and the high profile cases and celebrity criminals that captured the public imagination. Objects going on display include a vest said to have been worn by King Charles I at his execution, items belonging to prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, as well as illustrations, execution broadsides, and last letters of the condemned.

Executions: 700 years of Public Punishment in London

Edited by Jackie Keily

With contributions from Thomas Ardill, Beverley Cook and Meriel Jeater

£16.99 ǀ paperback ǀ 13 October 2022 ǀ Philip Wilson Publishers

Published in collaboration with the Museum of London, this is a fascinating record of how the city of London and its residents’ lives were shaped by nearly 700 years of executions.

For more information, visit: https://museumoflondonshop.co.uk/

Upcoming events

In & around Smithfield Market ǀ Walk

1:00pm,18th October 2022. Duration 1hr 30. £15. 14yrs+

Join our stroll through Smithfield, from St Bartholomew the Great to Charterhouse to hear about Medieval and Tudor Londoners. Hear all about the plague, bodysnatching, and executions involving public hanging, drawing and quartering and being boiled alive. Encounter William Wallace, Henry VIII, Hogarth and even Sherlock Holmes, passing Bart’s Hospital, St Sepulchre-without-Newgate and the Golden Boy at Pye Corner.

Tickets: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/event-detail?id=1012

Executions: Royalty, Rebels and Regicides ǀ Walk

11:00am, 26th October 2022. Duration: 2hrs. £20. 16yrs+

Walk in the footsteps of a king and join Julie Chandler of London Town Tours as we follow the route Charles I took to his execution. Discover along the way what happened to the regicides and other royal rebels; from the Popish Plot to the Gunpowder Plot. This walk is part of a special series inspired by our exhibition, Executions.

Tickets: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-do...

Charles I and the Civil Wars: a literary perspective

7:00pm, 16th November 2022. Duration: 1hr 30. £16. 14yrs+

At 2pm, on Tuesday 30 January 1649, King Charles I stepped onto a wooden scaffold outside Whitehall’s Banqueting House, knelt in front of thousands of spectators and was publicly beheaded as a traitor. It was the brutal climax of years of bloody civil war, which had seen tens of thousands of people lose their lives and livelihoods as the kingdoms of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland were plunged into chaos. In this fascinating collaboration with HistFest, bestselling authors Jessie Childs and Leanda de Lisle, and critically acclaimed playwright and history teacher Thabo Stuck explore the complex events that led to the fateful moment of Charles’s execution. Including a panel discussion and immersive re-enactment from the English Civil War Society, discover the realities of a world turned upside down.

Tickets: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/event-detail?id=315408

Executions: Subversive Scots, Secret Sodomy, and Cats Dressed as Monks ǀ Walk

11:00am, 19th November 2022. Duration: 2hrs. £20. 16yrs+

From the inventive execution techniques of the Romans to a spine-chilling method of dealing with a very specific type of criminal, discover the intimate stories of the unfortunate people put to death here, in some of the darkest moments the City has witnessed. Join Nick Collinson, The Urban Rambler, on this walk as part of a special series inspired by our exhibition, Executions. Please note that this walk will feature graphic descriptions of executions and their aftermath which some may find offensive.

Tickets: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/event-detail?id=314808

Executions: Jack Sheppard's Final Journey ǀ Walk

10:30am, 30th November 2022. Duration: 4hrs. £28. 16yrs+

Join Blue Badge guide, Julie Chandler and follow the journey of notorious thief and prison escapee Jack Sheppard as he makes the final procession to the gallows at Tyburn. Along the way, discover a rescue attempt, Jack’s friends and mistresses and his last drink before he swings. Please note that this guided walk will last between 3 and ½ and 4 hours and include a short refreshment/comfort break approximately halfway through. This walk is part of a special series inspired by our exhibition, Executions.

Tickets: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/event-detail?id=313408

Preserving Memory: Hand Embroidery with Nicole Chui

11:00am, 10th December 2022. Duration: 3hrs. £45. 14yrs+

Join exciting artist Nicole Chui at the Museum of London Docklands for a hands-on embroidery art workshop, sewing onto paper prints. Inspired by the Earl of Derwentwater’s bedsheet which was embroidered by his wife using hair following his execution and features in our exhibition, discover and experiment with new embroidery techniques and learn more about Nicole’s practice as you hand stitch your own messages of love on an unexpected material. Whether it’s a self-affirmation or a dedication to a loved one to give as a gift, let your creative juices run free! You are welcome to bring along an object or photo of something meaningful to be photocopied for you to work on. All materials provided (human hair not included!) and no previous experience required. Attendees will also gain free entry to our exhibition, Executions.

Tickets: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/event-detail?id=314608

Executions: Torture and Treason ǀ Walk

11:00am, 13th December 2022. Duration: 2hrs. £20:00. 16yrs+

From the displaying of heads on London Bridge to public and private executions at the Tower, discover the dark history of the City of London with Blue Badge guide, Julie Chandler of London Town Tours. Please note that this walk does not go inside the Tower of London. This walk is part of a special series inspired by our exhibition, Executions.

Tickets: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands/event-detail?id=313208

About The Museum of London Docklands

The Museum of London Docklands is located at West India Quay in east London. Opened in 2003, this grade one listed converted Georgian sugar warehouse specifically tells the story of the port, river and city – focusing on trade, migration and commerce in London.

The museum is open Monday – Sunday 10am – 5pm and is FREE to all. You can explore the Museum of London with collections online – home to 90,000 objects with more being added regularly. www.museumoflondon.org.uk.