One of the most infamous executioners who operated in England throughout the centuries
was Jack Ketch.
He was a blundering axeman who performed two particularly high profile executions which
went horrible wrong.
There was a skill in performing executions by axe, and those who performed their job
poorly could often incite a lot of hate.
Jack Ketch when he later executed James Scott the Duke of Monmouth took so many swings of
the axe that he allegedly gave up once, and the crowd were so angry that he almost caused
a riot.
The crowd wanted his head on the block next.
But there was an execution performed before by Ketch which was also performed terribly.
But what is the story of this?
Join us today as we look at ‘the botched execution of Lord Russell,’ and remember
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William Russell was the third son of his father of the same name the Duke of Bedford.
Following the death of his elder brother he became Baron Russell, and was then referred
to as Lord Russell.
William went to Cambridge University and he then went to Europe visiting a number of cities
before settling in Augsburg for a short period.
He travelled widely for a man of the 18th century, and following the Restoration of
the Monarchy, and Charles II becoming the King, Lord Russell was then elected as an
MP for Tavistock, which was traditionally held by his family.
He did not seem the most active MP, but he was present in the royal court, but in 1663
and 1664 he was involved in two duels and was wounded in the second one.
He alter in 1669 at the age of 30 married Lady Vaughn, and he was then linked to the
Earl of Shafestbury who married his wife’s cousin.
It was said that Lord Russell and his wife had a close and happy marriage, however he
then became more involved in politics.
Russell became more active as he spoke up in Parliament against Catholicism stating,
‘I despise such a ridiculous and nonsensical religion,’ and he wanted to allow people
to make their own minds up on politics and he was strongly against the persecution of
Protestants that spoke out.
When he made his first speech in Parliament, he questioned a number of things including
accusations of French money being used to bribe Charles II’s courtiers, and he also
attacked the ministers of the King who he thought had bad intentions.
Ht then in 1675 addressed the King to appeal for the removal of Royal Councils.
But in February 1677, there was a debate of proroguing parliament which had occurred for
15 months, and he asked the King to declare war on the French.
At the time, there was the discovery of a plot known as the Popish Plot which was planning
to murder King Charles II, and move forward the succession of his Catholic brother, and
Russell then looked at different things in politics.
He became involved in a small party which wanted James Scott, the 1st Duke of Monmouth,
Charles II’s illegitimate yet recognised son to then take the throne.
He was also in communication with William of Orange and his wife Mary, who later came
onto the throne 5 years after Russell was killed.
But on the 4th November 1678, Lord Russel moved an address to the King to exclude his
brother James the Duke of York from his person and councils.
He wanted him also to be excluded from the line of succession.
Parliament was later dissolved again, and Russell was later appointed to a new Privy
Council Ministry, and in this he then drew up plans to secure the country in case of
a Catholic rebellious successor to the throne.
But in January 1680, he offered his resignation which was received by Charles II.
He tried to help indict James the Duke of York as a Catholic recusant, and then even
carried an exclusion bill into the House of Lords himself.
There was talks of a compromise but Russell wanted his ideas put to the forefront, and
after growing frustrated he involved himself in a treasonous meeting in October 1682.
He attended a meeting with The Duke of Monmouth and many other prominent politicians in which
was known as the Rye House Plot.
They planned to ambush Charles II and his brother James near Rye House on their way
back to London from Newmarket races.
But the plot was discovered, and unlike others Russell refused to flee to Holland.
He was accused of promising to help raise an uprising and a rebellion across the country
which would then bring about the death of the King.
This was obviously treason, but what was shocking was that a well though off and respected member
of parliament was more than happy doing this.
He was sent to the Tower of London on the 26th June 1683 and he was told to prepare
himself for execution for his treason.
The Duke of Monmouth offered to return home to England and be tried if it helped Russell
survive the death penalty, but he was tried and was convicted of treason.
Russell was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered but as he was known and close
to Charles II, the King commuted this death sentence to beheading which was considered
less traumatic, painful and severe.
However Lord Russell did receive a fair trial, and Lady Russell was allowed to act on behalf
of her husband at times, and it was believe his trial was much more dignified than others
of the time.
Many of his friends and family members tried to appeal to the King and the Duke of York
to spare him.
The French King believed he should have been spared, but Charles said, ‘If I do not take
his life he will shortly take mine,’ showing how he believed Russell was a dangerous traitor.
Russell even offered to live in exile and never return if his life was spared but this
was refused, and he even turned down an escape offer.
Lady Russell even begged at the King’s feet whilst she was on her knees but this did not
happen, and the King who had previously shown mercy to his opponents was tired of doing
this.
Lord Russell spent his last day inside the Tower of London, and he received morning prayers
with the Scottish Archbishop Alexander Burnet.
However following this on the 21st July 1683, he was taken from the Tower of London to Lincoln’s
Inn Fields.
This was the largest public square in London and here many executions took place.
Here Lord Russell was led up to the scaffold as the crowd looked on, and stood there was
Jack Ketch.
He spoke to the crowd saying, ‘Nor did I ever pretend to a great readiness in speaking:
I wish those gentlemen of the law who have it, would make more conscience int he use
of it, and not run men down by strains and fetches, impose on easy and willing juries,
to the ruin of innocent men: For to kill by forms and subtilties of law, is the worst
sort of murder … I never had any design against the king’s
life, or the life of any man whatsoever; so I never was in any contrivance of altering
the government.
What the heats, wickedness, passions, and vanities of other men have occasioned, I ought
not to be answerable for; nor could I repress them, though I now suffer for them.’
However Lord Russells’s execution was botched by executioner Jack Ketch.
Executions were considered clean if someones head was taken clean off, and this was what
was hoped at them.
Crowds did not want to see a botched job, but Ketch took a number of swings at Russell’s
neck before his head was taken off.
This shocked the crowd, and he later had to release an apology saying that Russel, ‘died
with more gallantry than discretion, and did not dispose him for receiving of the fatal
stroke in such a posture as was most suitable, for whereas he should have put his hands before
his breast of behind him, he spread them out before him, nor would he be persuaded to give
any signal or pull his cap over his eyes, which might possibly be the occasion that
discovering the blow he somewhat heaved his body.’
This execution was bloody and it damaged Jack Ketch’s reputation, but later he would repeat
his brutal blundering ways on the execution of the Duke of Monmouth.
Lord Russel was a prominent and important politician in the 17th century, and his ideas
at times were considered rather radical.
He greatly opposed opposition for the accession of the openly Catholic James the Duke of York
who later did go on to rule.But his execution has gone down in history as one of the most
brutal.
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