The Bloody Code: The worst ways to be executed in Britain in the 18th Century

The Bloody Code: The worst ways to be executed in Britain in the 18th Century

Beginning in the 17th Century the Bloody Code consisted of more than 200 offences; a list of crimes that were punishable by death. If you were a criminal in the times of the Bloody Code, it’s highly likely you’d be executed, whether you committed a murder, stole a rabbit or managed to wreck a fishpond. Beginning in the late 17th Century the Bloody Code consisted of more than 200 offences; a list of all the crimes that were punishable by death. In 1688, the number of crimes carrying the death penalty was 50. By 1815 there were 215 crimes on the list. Why was the English legal system so brutal? It was mostly due to the wealthy men who created the laws; they looked down on everybody else as being lazy, sinful and greedy. Judges rarely showed any mercy and, because the rich made the laws, they were created to protect them — any crime against their property was made punishable by death. The Bloody Code was thought to be a perfect deterrent and those times saw an increase in the number of public hangings. It was also thought that the more people witnessed public executions, the more likely they’ll be obeying the law. Thankfully there were a handful of reformers, led by Sir Samuel Romilly, who were horrified that people could be executed for petty crimes. It was 216 years ago this month that the dreaded ‘Bloody Code’ was revised by Sir Romilly and ensured people weren’t executed for cutting down trees, wearing blackface at night or impersonating a Chelsea pensioner.

Crimes on the Bloody Code

If you committed a crime that was listed on the Bloody Code — that’s 214 crimes on the list — chances are you’d be given a date to meet the hangman. Here are just some of the crimes you’d be hanged for: • Stealing from a shipwreck • An unmarried mother concealing a stillborn baby • Forgery • Impersonating a Chelsea pensioner • Begging without a licence if you’re a soldier or sailor • Stealing horses or sheep • Arson • Being out at night with a blackened face • Strong evidence of malice in children aged 7-14 • Cutting down trees • Destroying turnpike roads • Wrecking a fishpond. • Stealing from a rabbit warren • Writing a threatening letter According to historian Lizzie Steel, the main aim of the Bloody Code was deterrence. The other issue that made the Bloody Code so cruel was that those in court faced with this brutal system had to defend themselves. Once you were convicted, there was very little hope.

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