Gregory was succeeded by his son Richard, famous as the executioner of Charles I.
After him came Lowen, an obscure hangman, known only by mention in the account of an execution.[69]
Later came Edward Dun, known as “Esquire Dun,” mentioned in Butler’s “Hudibras” (pt. iii. c. ii. l. 1534). He was followed by the most famous of all the hangmen of Tyburn, Jack Ketch, hangman from about 1663 to 1686. In January of this year he was for a time superseded by Pascha Rose, a butcher, who was hanged at Tyburn, on May 28th, when Ketch resumed office. Ketch is twice mentioned in Dryden, in the epilogue to the Duke of Guise:—
“Jack Ketch, says I’s, an excellent physician,”
and again in “The Original and Progress of Satire”:—
“A man may be capable, as Jack Ketch’s wife said of his servant, of a plain piece of work, a bare hanging: but to make a malefactor die sweetly, was only belonging to her husband.”
Dr. Murray’s Dictionary attributes something of Ketch’s fame to his introduction into the “puppet-play of Punchinello introduced from Italy shortly after his death”: but Cunningham quotes from the Overseers’ Books of St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields entries of sums “received of Punchinello the Italian popet player, for his Booth at Charing-cross,” in March, 1666. But something of his notoriety was due to his bungling in the executions of Lord Russell in 1683, and of the Duke of Monmouth in 1685. As to Lord Russell, “Ketch the executioner severed his head from his body at three strokes, very barbarously.”[70] It was worse with Monmouth:—
“He sayd to the executioner, ‘Here are six guinies for you. Pray doe your business well: don’t serue me as you did my Lord Russell. I haue heard you strooke him three or fower tymes. Here (to his seruant), take these remaininge guinies, and giue them to him if he does his worke well.’ And to the executioner he sayd, ‘If you strike me twice I cannot promise you not to stirr.’ Then he lay downe, and soone after raised himselfe vpon his elbowe, and sayd to the executioner, ‘Prithee, let me feele the ax.’ He felt the edge, and sayd, ‘I feare it is not sharpe enough.’ Then he lay downe, the Diuines prayinge earnestly for the acceptance of his repentance, his imperfect repentance, and commended to God his soule and spirit. Soe the executioner did his work: but I heare he had fiue blowes. Soe he died.”[71]
As recorded in the Annals, John Price, the Tyburn hangman, was executed in Bunhill-Fields for murder in 1718.
In August, 1721, John Meff was executed at Tyburn. At a previous date, not mentioned, he had been condemned to death for housebreaking, but, as he was going to Tyburn, the hangman, bearing the generic name of “Jack Ketch,” was arrested. What became of him is not told, but he probably came to a bad end.