Pastyme With Good Companye

Post details: The Worst Executioner Ever

09/28/07

06:48:01 pm, by

, 169 words

Categories: Murder & Mayhem, British History

The Worst Executioner Ever

The worst executioner ever had to be a fellow by the name of Richard Jaquet aka Jack Ketch.

In 1683, when William Russell was condemned for plotting to kill King Charles II he paid Ketch 20 guineas to make a good job of it. Ketch took the cash, but....the first blow of the axe glanced off of the side of Russell's neck. Russell is recorded to have said, " You dog, did I pay you to treat me so inhumanely?" It took three more tries to sever Russell's head, and Ketch was booed off the scaffold.

Two years later Ketch botched the execution of the Duke of Monmouth. After four blows with the axe Ketch had to resort to severing the head with a knife ... ew!

Jack Ketch was finally fired, and replaced by a man named Pascha Rose. After a few months on the job Rose was arrested for murder, and then hanged. Ketch was immediately rehired... :crazy:

Source: The Strange Laws Of Olde England, By Nigel Cawthorne, 2004

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Permalink 2 comments

Comments:

Comment from: Ak-Man [Visitor]

· http://adarkershadeofblack.blogspot.com/

Not usually one for the History lessons but that was a good read.

Imagine and executioner being executed for murder . . . isn't that his career?

Permalink 10/06/07 @ 08:44

Comment from: Admin [Member]

· http://www.doubledeckerbuses.org/pastyme/

Ak-Man -> Thanks for stopping by, and yeah we like to cover lessor known bits of history .. lol!

Permalink 10/06/07 @ 08:56

Welcome to the blog of amateur historians Matthew James Didier and Sue Darroch. Partners in life and in crime, we endeavor to entertain you with snippets from our combined historical research. Past time with good company indeed, as we shall introduce you to Kings and Knaves, Queens and Mistresses, Cons and Heroes, from our collective past......from events well known to those perhaps all but forgotten, we will do our best to bring you interesting historical factoids from around the globe. It is our belief that through understanding our past we will all gain a better perspective on our future.