Post a recent trip to the more southern parts of the City of York, including a brief stop at Tyburn, I thought I would reverse back through the books to the second, Hob Hurst’s Daughter, to look at the subject of execution.
Towards the end of the second book there is a detailed trial and execution section, following the fates of Clara Mowbray (fictional character) and Mary Bateman, “the Yorkshire Witch” (fictionalised version of historical figure) in 1809. Mary Bateman, nee Harker, was executed by hanging with one other man, Joseph Brown, who had murdered his landlady. For the purposes of my own fictional story, Clara joins them on the line up that day. I have already written an earlier blog post on Mary Bateman, nee Harker so I won’t go into her life story here.
The hangman on the day was William Mutton Curry, a sheep rustler from Romanby, near Northallerton, who ended up as executioner for thirty years. A known drunk, he had on previous hanging days, fallen through the gallows hole himself by accident, although not with a noose around his neck. After retiring, he ended his days in the Thirsk workhouse.*
By the time of Clara Mowbray’s execution in 1809, prisoners were hung over near the prison, what is now today York Castle Museum, set close to Clifford’s Tower. Prior to this, people were hung at Tyburn, up until 1801. Tyburn is a site on the edge of the Knavesmire, back then as it is today a large open grassy plain where the horseracing is conducted. The assizes (essentially travelling courts) and subsequent hangings were timed to coincide with horse racing season to capitalise on the number of potential crowds, and generally to form a grand day out. Something that feels distinctly uncomfortable to us today, but back in the day, it was a family day out, thousands would have turned up, especially for a high profile case such as that of Mary Bateman. There would have been hawkers selling pamphlets and booklets with sensationalised accounts of the criminals’ lives – a nice souvenir to take home.
Today there is a carved stone marking the place of Tyburn, along with an information board. It’s at the side of the road down to Dringhouses, and looks out across the Knavesmire.
*Yorkshire Hangmen, Stephen Wade, Wharncliffe Books, 2008
The Yorkshire Witch: The Life and Trail of Mary Bateman, Summer Strevens, Pen and Sword History, 2017
Yorkshire Saga 