For those of you new to the site, we cover all the largest historical figures throughout history, so then we are pleased to present to our readers, the execution of William Wallace. Looking for other execution pieces? Read about scaphism, crucifixion, burning at the stake.
As an Amazon associate, I qualify for commissions on qualifying purchases.
The trial of Sir William Wallace
On August 23, 1305, Scottish Independence leader William Wallace stood before the gates of the Tower of London. For eight years, he had led the forces of Scotland in a fight for independence against the English king Edward I.
Check the price on Amazon for Braveheart in 4K UHD.
But on August 5, a traitorous knight in his own ranks had turned Wallace over to the English. With their most dangerous enemy now in a London Prison Cell, the English decided to make an example of him.
In King Edward’s mind, Wallace was a traitor to the crown in spite of Wallace’s objection that “I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject.”
So the English court decided to sentence Wallace to the traditional punishment for traitors: he would be hanged, drawn, and quartered.
His execution
On the morning of his execution, Wallace was stripped naked and tied behind a horse by his heels. The horse then dragged him through the streets of London to the nearby town of Smithfield. This was the “drawing” part of the punishment.
In King Edward’s mind, Wallace was a traitor to the crown in spite of Wallace’s objection that “I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject.”
Next came the hanging. At Smithfield, a noose was placed around Wallace’s neck and he was lifted into the air. As the weight of his body pulled against the noose, it cut off the flow of blood to his brain and prevented him from breathing.
Figure 1. The trial of Sir William Wallace
But before he could die, the rope was cut. Wallace dropped to the ground as the blood began to flow into his brain again, producing the sort of “pins and needles” sensation you get after your hand falls asleep. Except for Wallace, the experience would have been much more painful.
Others who have been hanged and then released have said that they would rather have just died than felt the pain that came afterwards.
But Wallace wouldn’t have to endure it for very long. He was immediately tied to a post and a man approached with a heavy knife. Wallace was castrated, his stomach was cut open, and the intestines pulled out and burned in front of him.
Finally, Wallace was beheaded. His body was then cut into four parts, or “quartered.”
His head was preserved in tar and placed on a pike on London Bridge. The Rest of his limbs were scattered across the country as a warning to any other potential traitors.
Being hanged, drawn, and quartered is a form of punishment with a long history in England. But at the time of Wallace’s death, it was relatively new. To be sure, the individual elements of the punishment were all in use throughout the early modern period. But the first record we have of them being combined into a single, gruesome punishment dates from 1238, when a “certain man at arms,” tried to kill King Henry III and was sentenced to be hanged drawn and quartered.
This likely wasn’t the first time the punishment was used, it’s simply the first record that survives. And it probably reflects a growing tendency for English monarchs to combine punishments in common use to create one, ultimate punishment.
After all, it was meant to punish the ultimate crime. The Kings of England saw treason as not just a threat to themselves, but to the security of the kingdom. Thus, they needed a gruesome punishment that would prevent others from committing treason.
And being hanged, drawn, and quartered was first and foremost a warning. The executions were always public, and were often attended by the king himself.
The accused was usually allowed to address the waiting crowd, though they weren’t exactly free to say anything they wanted. They were expected to ask for forgiveness from the king. And if anyone tried to say anything critical of the monarch, they could expect the bailiff to step in and shut them up.
One person sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered was gagged so thoroughly that he almost suffocated after the bailiff didn’t like the tone of his speech.
It was possible to show leniency in carrying out the sentence, often by beheading the victim first or letting them strangle before disemboweling them. These practices became more common in later centuries when brutal public executions started to go out of style.
But the punishment remained in use for centuries. And until the 17thcentury, visitors crossing London Bridge might expect to see the decapitated heads of traitors greeting them.
One person sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered was gagged so thoroughly that he almost suffocated after the bailiff didn’t like the tone of his speech.
The final execution of someone sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered wasn’t until 1817, when an out-of-work stocking maker named Jeremiah Brandreth was beheaded with an axe for plotting to revolt against the government.
The last time the sentence was officially applied was in 1820, though the actual sentences were transmuted to transportation to Australia instead.
I highly recommend reading Randall Wallace’s Living the Braveheart Life: Finding the Courage to Follow Your Heart, Check the price on Amazon.
“Every man dies. Not every man really lives.”
—William Wallace, Braveheart
Love to read history? I highly recommend buying the new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. Check the price on Amazon.
