Romancing the Gibbet
Public punishment and local memory in the Georgian West Country
A free event presented by the University Of The West Of England, taking place at Warminster Library, Three Horseshoes Walk, Warminster, BA12 9BT, on Saturday 22nd November 2013, 11.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.
The occasional, and extraordinary, 18th-century practice of hanging and/or gibbeting some felons (exhibiting their bodies to public view in iron cages) at the scene of their crime, was intended to leave an indelible and exemplary impression on disorderly peripheral villages and small towns. They were often staged in remote locations before very large crowds and were spectacular, processional events. In 1813, one such execution was carried out upon two convicted murderers, George Ruddock and George Carpenter, on the brow of Arn Hill, overlooking Warminster. For this Being Human event, historian Steve Poole will give an illustrated talk on this and other west country crime scene hangings, explaining their rationale and placing the Arn Hill events into a broader historical context. Then, poet Ralph Hoyte and artist Michael Fairfax will create a public performance related to the events of 1813, involving poetry, sculpture, music, and sound installation. This event gets to the very heart of what it is to ’be human’ in extraordinary circumstances.
Free admission.
Booking required. You book your free ticket by simply registering your name and email address online.
For further details, contact Steve Poole
email: Steve.Poole@uwe.ac.uk
Being Human Festival Website, click here.