Who was the last chief hangman in Britain?

TabbyTom

Robert Stewart and Harry Allen held the job concurrently from 1956 (when Albert Pierrepoint retired) to 1965 (when capital punishment was effectively abolished, though theoretically it remained in force for treason for some time). The last executions were carried out on August 13, 1964, when Robert Stewart hanged Peter Allen at Walton Prison in Liverpool and Harry Allen hanged John Welby at Strangeways in Manchester. Source: The Guinness Book of Crime. Jul 01 05, 11:17 AM

Valf	Albert Pierrepoint is often referred to as Britain's last hangman, but this is not true — executions continued until 13 August 1964 http://www.answers.com/topic/albert-pierrepoint Jul 01 05, 2:54 PM

bloomsby

I've a hunch Pierrepoint may have been the last "hereditary" hangman. It seems to have run in the family ... Not worth a peerage, but if he hadn't had a confrontation with the Home Office, he might just have been awarded something like the B.E.M. Jul 01 05, 4:55 PM

lanfranco

I thought I remembered that Pierrepoint was the hangman in the executions of lesser Nazi war criminals, including some women, such as Irma Griese and Elisabeth Volkenrath This site seems to confirm it: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6142/nazigirls.html Jul 01 05, 5:49 PM

bloomsby

Indeed, Lanfranco. Pierrepoint did carry out the thirteen executions following the Bergen-Belsen trial, including that of Irma Grese. The executions were carried out in Hameln an der Weser (of "Pied Piper" fame). I gather that at least part the prison building is now a four-star restaurant. Jul 01 05, 7:24 PM