Wherefore a certain woman, Alice atte Bowe, the mistress of Crepin, a clerk, the chief causer of the said mischief, and with her sixteen men, were imprisoned, and later, Alice was burnt, and seven were drawn and hanged, to wit, Reginald de Lanfar, Robert Pinnot, Paul de Stybbenheth, Thomas Corouner, John de Tholosane, Thomas Russel, and Robert Scott. Ralph Crepin, Jordan Godchep, Gilbert le Clerk and Geoffrey le Clerk were attainted of the felony and remained prisoners in the Tower. The church was placed under an interdict by the archbishop: the doors and windows stopped up with thorns. But the body of Laurence was taken from the place where it lay, and given burial by the clergy in the churchyard. After a while, the bishop of Rochester, by command of the archbishop, removed the interdict.[122]
1295. October 6. The Treason of Sir Thomas Turberville.
Sir Thomas Turberville, taken prisoner by the French, was released in order that he might return to England and act as a secret agent for the French government. He was detected in corresponding with the Provost of Paris, tried and condemned. This was the manner of his execution: He came from the Tower, mounted on a poor hack, in a coat of ray, and shod with white shoes, his head being covered with a hood, and his feet tied beneath the horse’s belly, and his hands tied before him: and around him were riding six torturers attired in the form of the devil, one of whom held his rein, and the hangman his halter, for the horse which bore him had them both upon it: and in such manner was he led from the Tower through London to Westminster, and was condemned on the dais in the Great Hall there: and Sir Robert Brabazun pronounced judgment upon him, that he should be drawn and hanged, and that he should hang so long as anything should be left whole of him: and he was drawn on a fresh ox-hide from Westminster to the Conduit of London in Cheapside, and then back to the gallows: and there is he hung by a chain of iron, and will hang as long as anything of him may remain.[123]
Here we have the first mention of drawing on an ox-hide, probably at this time generally used in such cases. But as shown on p. 28, one of the chroniclers expressly says that this method of drawing was adopted in the present case in order that the sufferer should not die too soon.
The place of execution is not mentioned. In a footnote Mr. Riley says that it was “probably the Elms in West Smithfield,” but, as has been shown, the probability is all in favour of the Elms of Tyburn.
1299. Rishanger reports a strange occurrence not unconnected with our subject: The King ordered to be brought into the Tower of London all the iron manacles and chains which could be found in every place in England, to an inestimable number, but the reason of this was wholly unknown.[124]
1305. August 23. William Wallace drawn from Westminster to the Tower and thence to Tyburn, where he was hanged and quartered. In treating of the punishment for high treason, mention has already been made of the manner of carrying out the sentence on Wallace, “the man of Belial,” as he is constantly called in the Chronicles. Wallace was hanged on a very high gallows, specially made for the occasion. Edward was fond of high gallows. At the siege of Stirling Castle, in 1300, he caused to be erected two gallows, sixty feet high, before the gates of the castle, and swore a great oath (jurra graunt serment) that if surrender was not at once made, he would hang every one within the castle, were he earl, baron, or knight, high or low. “On hearing which,” says the chronicler, “those within at once opened the gates and surrendered to the king, who pardoned them.”
The place of execution of Wallace was undoubtedly Tyburn. “The Elms” is mentioned in Chronicles of the reigns of Edward I. and Edward II., ed. Stubbs, i. 141-2. The sentence bore that Wallace’s head should be exposed on London Bridge. This is the first recorded instance of a head being exposed here.[125] In 1283 the head of David III. and of his brother Llewellyn were fixed on the Tower of London.[126]
1306. Two other executions of Scotch leaders followed, both probably at Tyburn, though the place is not expressly mentioned. Symon Frisel [Fraser] was brought to London, and then, according to the chronicler, drawn, on September 7, from the Tower, through the streets to the gallows as traitor, hanged as thief, beheaded as murderer; then his body was hung on a gibbet for twenty days, and finally burnt, the head being fixed on a pole upon London Bridge, near the head of Wallace.
The execution of the earl of Athol followed on November 7. Edward, grievously ill, found his pains relieved by learning of the capture of the earl. Athol claimed to be of royal lineage. “If he is of nobler blood than the other parricides,” said Edward, “he shall be hanged higher than they.” He was carried to London, and condemned at Westminster. Then, as being of royal descent, he was not drawn, but rode on horseback to the place of execution, where he was hanged on a gallows fifty feet high. Then let down, half alive, so that his torment might be greater, very cruelly beheaded (the chronicler does not say what was done to make the beheading unusually cruel), then the body was thrown into a fire previously kindled in the sight of the sufferer, and reduced to ashes. Then the head was placed on London Bridge among those of other traitors, but higher than the rest, in regard to his royal descent.[127]