Execution Dock

Anyone condemned in England for crimes committed at sea were hung at Execution Dock.

Near the end of the 14th century the river was infested with pirates and those inhabitants on land in the Wapping area put chains and barriers across the river inlets to protect themselves.

Stow told of the deaths of these pirates at Execution Dock, Wapping and the Tunnel Pier marks the site. It lay between Wapping New Stairs and Wapping Dock Stairs.

The gallows, two posts and a cross-beam, was erected on the shore and afterwards the bodies were chained to a stake at the low water mark and left there until usual three high tides had covered them. Their bodies were then smeared with pitch and hung on the gibbets on the Isle of Dogs and left to rot! Some were taken from Wapping to Bugsby's Reach and hung there.

Stow also reports that before 1544 there had been no houses standing between the precinct of St Katherine's and Wapping, "the usual place of execution for hanging Pirats and sea Rovers, and at low water marke there to remain till three tides had overflowed them; ... but since the gallows being after removed farther off, a continuall street, or filthy passage, with Alleys of small tenements or cottages builded, inhabited by saylors victuallers, along the river Thames almost to Radcliff, a good mile from the Tower."

The landlord of The Turk's Head (no longer in existence) supplied a quart of ale to persons being executed at Execution Dock and a public right of way went through the inn to the river.

Some who were hung were taken from Wapping to Bugsby's Reach and hung there. The sight would give incoming sailors a stern warning of what would happen to them if they misbehaved.

Execution Dock was still being used and in 1557 "the vi day of Aprell was hangyd at the low-water marke at Wapyng beyond St Katheryn's vii men for robbing on the see".

There was always a prcession from Newgate through Cornhill, Whitechapel and along Commercial Road. First various dignitories in their carriages and the two City Marshals on horseback. The prisoner followed on an open cart with the hangman and his assistant beside him. Various officers followed along behind. Scores of people turned out for the occasion, standing on the foreshore to enjoy the event. Boats collected along the river front near the gallows and barges further out in the river were filled with more spectators. In the ship nearby the seaman climbed up into the rigging to get a better view.

Captain William/John Kidd was born at Greenock, Scotland. He lived for a while with his family in New York. At first he was employed to act against pirates but eventually turned to piracy himself. On 23 May 1701 he was taken to be executed along with 6 others at Execution Dock and their bodies to be hung in chains lower down the river. After Kidd was hanged the rope broke and he fell to the ground. The Ordinairy (one appointed to the prison by the Bishop) exhorted him to take the extra time to prepare his soul. Kidd had been born at Greenock
There was, as usual, a public procession from Newgate to Wapping and the scaffold was erected at the edge of the river.

Captain John Gow alias Smith alias Goffe, was born in Thurso, Scotland. He was appointed second mate of a ship which he sailed on a voyage to Santa Cruz on a galley called the 'George' with a complement of 24 and he took part in a mutiny on board the ship he was serving on along with seven others. The chief mate, surgeon and supercargo had their throats cut while they were asleep. The captain had his throat cut and was stabbed but it took shot to kill him.
He then became the captain of a notorious gang of pirates and the ship was re-named the 'Revenge'. Those of the crew who had not taken part in the mutiny were forced to serve the new captain.

After a period they decided to put in at Orkney and this gave the men who had been forced into piracy to decide to send one of them to Kirkwall where he approached a magistrate and eventually the pirates were taken prisoner and eventually were imprisoned at Marshalsea. From there they were taken to Newgate. Their trials were held at the Old Bailey and Gow and seven others were convicted, and received sentence of death; but the rest were acquitted, as it seemed evident that they had been compelled to take part with the pirates.

At his execution at Execution Dock, 11th of August, 1729 his friends, 'anxious to put him out of his pain, pulled his legs so forcibly that the rope broke and he dropped down; on which he was again taken up to the gibbet, and when he was dead was hanged in chains on the banks of the Thames'.

(See The Complete Newgate Calendar, Vol. III for more details about him.)

On 25 March 1752 Captain James Lowry was executed for flogging a seaman to death.

On 7 July 1754 Captain John Lancey suffered the same fate for scuttling the brig Nightingale.

Captain David Ferguson, master of the Betsey, was tried for murdering his cabin boy whilst on the way to Virginia, and found guilty. He was hung on 4 January 1771 at Wapping. The area was packed with spectators including barges and ships on the river.

In the time of William Brunskill, the official hangman from 1786 until 1814, the practice of allowing the tide to cover the body for the usual three high tides, was abolished.

Captain John Sutherland, Commander of the British Armed Transport ship named 'The Friends'. Executed at Execution Dock 29th of  June, 1809, for the murder of his young black cabin-boy, William Richardson aged 13, by stabbing, on 5 November when a mile off Lisbon. Sutherland was aged about 40 and married with five children.
He was tried at Admiralty Sessions, on Friday, the 22nd of June, 1809 and the verdict of guilty passed. The sentence passed was that he be hanged at Execution Dock, and his body afterwards delivered to the surgeons for dissection.
(See The Complete Newgate Calendar, Vol. V for fuller details.)

In 1816 Execution Dock was used for the last time to hang criminals while three tides covered their heads. The Tunnel Pier marks the site of Execution Dock. The Malefactor's Register printed an engraving of a pirate about to be hanged at Execution Dock.
(The Newgate Calendar - Folio Society)