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Death by boiling: Death of Wat Tyler, at left, in a 14th century depiction of Smithfield Death by boiling is a method of execution in which a person is killed by being immersed in a boiling liquid such as water or oil. While not as common as other methods of execution, boiling to death has been used in many parts of Europe and Asia. The executioner could then help speed their demise by means of a large hook with which he sank the person deeper. An alternative method was to use a large shallow receptacle rather than a cauldron; oil, tallow or pitch then being poured in. The victim was then partially immersed in the liquid and fried to death. This method was employed for The Death of the Bishop's Poisoner By Nancy Bilyeau On April 5, 1531, hardened spectators of public punishment gathered at Smithfield, joined, perhaps, by others who were too ghoulish or genuinely curious to stay away. For an execution had been announced of a type that none had witnessed in their lifetimes, nor ever ...