Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-07-07
From the Prisoners Friend.
ANCIENT PUNISHMENT OF CUTTING OFF
THE HAND.

From an old record we extract the following, in
relation to the cruel punishment Of manning Grim
inals by d~epriying them of their hands:
"on the 18th June, A.. d. 1911, Trinity Term,
SO Henry VIII, Sir Edmund Knevet was arraigned
before the kings justices sitting in the great hall
at Greenwich, for striking one Master Clerk, of
Norfolk, servant to the Earl of Surry, within the
kings house in the Tennis Court. Sir Edmund,
being found guilty, had judgment to lose his right
cution,
u. The sergeant chirurgion, with his instru-
mcnt appertaining to his office. 2. The sergeant
of the woodward, with the mallet and a blocke,
whereupon tho hand should lie. 8. The master
cooke of the king, with the knife. 4. The sergeant
of the larder, to set the knife right on the Joint.
D. The sergeant farrier, with his soaring irons to
scar the veins. 6. The sergeant of the poul-
try, with a cooke, which cooke should have his
head smitten off upon the same blocke
and with the same knife. I. The ycoman
of the chandry, with scar clothes. 8. The yeoman
of the scullery, with a pan Of fire to heat the yrons
a chafer of water to coole the ends of the yrons,
and two fourmes for all officers to set their stuffe
on. .. the sergeant of the cellar, with wine, ale
and Deere. 10. The yeoman of the curry, in the
sergeants stead, who was absent, with basin, cure,
and towels. Thus every nan in his Office ready to
do the execution there were called forth Sir Viii
liam Pickering, marshall, to bring in the said Sir
Edmund and, Wien he was brought to the barre,
the chief justice declared to him his offence, and
r the said Knevet, confessing himself to be guilty,
humbly submitted himself to the kings mercy
then Sir Domund desired that the king of his be-
nigne favour would pardon him of his right hand,
. and take the left for, (quoth he), if my right
hand be spared, | may hereafter do such good SER
= vice to his grace as shall please him to appoint of
this submission and request, the justices informing
the king he of his great goodness granted him a
free pardon"
oil T. Tho co,ouI ro.~Af H. 49,. 50 n,ooo N,rr
Wilkins Flower, a priest, on Easter Sunday, struck
and wounded with a wooden knife a brother priest
d named John Cheltham, whilst administering the
b sacrament at the altar, whereby the chahce was
h s~prinkled with blood. for this offence he was ad-
e Judged to have his hand stricken off. This sentence
e was carried into execution on st. Marks Eve, al
n st. Margarct's Church Yard, Westminster, where
y the crime was committed. His right hand was
held up against the stake and cut off; his left hand
d being fastened behind him. AT which striking
off his hand, some that were present, and purpose
/ ly observing the same, ~crelibly declared, that he
h in no part of his body did once shrink"
Peter Burchct, u prisoner confined in the Towo'
d of London, for striking and killing John Longwaith
1t his keeper, with a billet of wood, was condemned
to death. Before his execution. by virtue of stat
ute SO, Henry VIII, chap. II, his right hand wa
NJ struck off.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Johr
lie Stubs, the author, and William Page, the pub
Usher of a work, satirizing the projected marriag
of Queen Elizabeth with the Duke of Anjou, en-
I'd titled, "The gulph wherein England will be swa
m lowed by the French marriage" were both sen
is fenced to lose their right hands. This wa
Id accordingly done by a cleavcr being driven throug
W the wrist by means of a mallet, upon a scafold j
lg the market-place at Westminster. Stubs. tn
w lawyer, after his right hand was cut of, put on hi
hat with his left, exclaiming with a loud voice
he " God save the Queen J" The multitude standin
r. about, says the historian, /" was profoundly silen
re either out of horror at this new and unwonted kin
of punishment, or else out of pity to tie man, VIII
was of an honest unblamable character or else OF
IA of hatred to the marriage, which most men pr
,r- saged would be the overthrow Of religion"
ed In the reign of the same sovereign, a felon WI
m, indicted for finging a stone at a judge who WI
he sitting on the bench, and sentenced to have h
ps hand struck off which was accordingly done.
rs Charles, and his prime minister, Laud, endea
Is ored to have this penalty affixed to the sentence
rs FELTON,, who murdered Villiers, the Duke of Buc
ingham but the court unanimously decided TIL
he it could not legally be done.
nd A condemned felon flung q brickbat at S
all Thomas Richardson, chief Justice of the bench,
on Salisbury, 3lst August, 1871, summer a%ssizes,
he car. l, for which he was Immediately indicted,
les end, being convicted, his right hand was cut G
as and fixed to the gibbet; on which the felon himse
,9t was Immediately hanged, in the presence of ii
court.
're In the reign of Charles II, James Mitchell W;
MS punished with the loss of his right hand for bare
OF, attempting to shoot Sharp, Archbishop of st. A
nd drew's, in Scotland such attemptat assassinatiC
ice being so punished by the law of that kingdom.
ais From the time of Alfred the Great about Il
year 8l5, down to Charles III, 1917, a period
Ter eight centuries, only eight suffered this barbara
i'm penalty four of them in the reign of Queen Ell
go abeth.