Shire Hall Nottingham
www.galleriesofjustice.org.uk
Marks where the Gallows once stood outside the Court
A forgotten dungeon has been uncovered under Galleries of Justice in Nottingham city centre.
Galleries of Justice, Shire Hall, High Pavement, Lace Market, Nottingham.
Ghostly images at the Galleries of Justice Museum
Galleries of Justice, Shire Hall, High Pavement, Lace Market, Nottingham.
Hangings at Shire Hall 1735 – 1756
In the years 1735 – 1756, 50 death sentences were commuted and reports of
9 executions have been found.
In the period 1757 to 1799 there were 128 death sentences of which 34 were carried out.
It is possible that other executions took place in this period.
Name Crime Execution date
James Gilders (Gibbins) Highway robbery F 24 Mar 1738
Henry Parnell Murder of his wife F 4 August 1738
John Graham (Grimes) & Highway robbery W 14 August 1745
Ignatius Fisher Highway robbery W 14 August 1745
John Smith Highway robbery W 14 Aug 1751
Joseph Millner Robbery W 14 Aug 1751
Woolston Roberts & Cutting & maiming of Tu. 21 April 1752
William Sandham Benjamin Voss Tu. 21 April 1752
James Wogden Murder of Edward Whatman M 10 August 1752
Richard Sturgees Robbing dyehouses Tu. 20 Septermber 1757
Robert Wilson Highway robbery W 29 March 1758
Samuel Ward Housebreaking W 4 April 1759
Nottingham town execution
William Andrew Horne (74) Murder of his bastard Th. 30 November 1759
Elizabeth Morton (aged 15) Murder of her master’s child W 6 April 1763
James Bromwich & Highway robbery W 30 July 1766
William Wagner Highway robbery W 30 July 1766
Robert Downe Murder of Thomas Greenwood M 10 August 1767
Hanged in chains at the Gravel Pits, Lichfield Lane near Mansfield
Thomas Reynolds Burglary W 19 August 1767
William Hobbs (Hebb) Murder of Thomas Burrill (aged 79) M 27 March 1769
Richard Wheatley Robbing bleachground W 30 March 1774
Joseph Shaw Burglary W 30 March 1774
William Voce (19) Murder of Mary Dufty M 20 March 1775
John Spencer Murder of William Yeadon M 26 July 1779
Hanged in chains at Scrooby near the murder spot
George Brown (Bounds) Housebreaking W 28 March 1781
Adam Bagshaw Housebreaking W 28 March 1781
Cooper Hall Mail robbery W 27 March 1782
Hanged in chains on Jearling Moor.
Robert Rushton Murder 9 year old daughter W 17 March 1784
Ann Castledine (28) Murder of her bastard W 17 March 1784
Thomas Henfrey & Highway robbery W 31 March 1784
William Rider Highway robbery W 31 March 1784
Thomas (William) Cook Highway robbery W 23 March 1785
John Townshend & Highway robbery W 23 March 1785
John Pendrill Highway robbery W 23 March 1785
John Anderson Horse theft W 23 March 1785
Thomas Cobb Burglary W 27 July 1785
William Hands Horse theft W 29 March 1786
John Lister Sheep theft W 29 March 1786
Samuel Martin (21) & Robbing warehouse W 24 March 1790
Anthony Farnsworth (17) Robbing warehouse W 24 March 1790
William Healey Horse theft W 27 Mar 1793
David Proctor Rape of Charlotte Waters (10) W 25 March 1795
John Miller Cattle theft W 16 Aug 1797
James Brodie (aged 23) Murder of William Henesal (8) M 15 July 1799
Other hanging records for Nottingham, all tried at the Shire Hall
16/04/1800 John Atkinson Nottingham Gallows Hill Uttering forgery.
05/08/1801 Michael Denman Nottingham Gallows Hill Burglary
William Sykes " " Burglary
Thomas Bakewell " " Burglary
16/03/1802 Mary Voce Nottingham Gallows Hill Murder of her baby
31/03/1802 Fernando Davis Nottingham Gallows Hill Highway robbery
23/03/1803 John Thomson Nottinghamshire Nottingham Gallows Hill Theft
10/08/1803 William Hill Nottinghamshire Nottingham Gallows Hill Rape
10/04/1805 Robert Powell Nottingham Gallows Hill Housebreaking
02/08/1809 Thomas Lampin Nottingham Gallows Hill Forgery
29/07/1812 Benjamin Renshaw Nottingham Gallows Hill Arson
31/03/1813 William Simpson Nottingham Gallows Hill Housebreaking
03/04/1816 John Simpson Nottingham Gallows Hill Highway robbery
02/04/1817 Daniel Diggle Nottinghamshire Nottingham Gallows Hill Shot at
28/07/1817 Charles Rotherham Nottingham Gallows Hill Murder Elizabeth Shepherd
03/04/1818 George Needham Nottingham Gallows Hill Burglary
" " William Manderville " " Burglary
29/03/1820 Thomas Wilcox Nottingham Gallows Hill Highway robbery
22/03/1822 Henry Sanderson Nottingham Gallows Hill Murder William Carr 22/03/1822 Robert Bamford Nottingham Murder John Timms
" " Adam Adie " " Murder John Timms
02/04/1823 Thomas Roe Nottingham Gallows Hill Highway robbery
" Benjamin Miller " " Highway robbery
27/07/1825 Thomas Dewey Nottingham Gallows Hill Murder Maria Austin
16/03/1826 Samuel Wood Nottingham Nottingham Gallows Hill Murder wife
02/04/1827 William Wells Nottingham Gallows Hill (last) Highway robbery
Mary Voce was hanged at Gallows Hill, Nottingham on Tuesday, the 16th of March 1802 for poisoning her child. It is thought that she was born in 1788, which would make her only fourteen. It is interesting that the newspapers of the day found little noteworthy in the execution of fourteen year old girl and gave her story very little coverage.
Nottingham's Last Public Execution - 8am Wednesday 10th August 1864, the end of the Fiskerton Murderer
After hanging on the gallows for an hour, the body was cut down and buried with quick lime in the burial ground within the Gaol (exercise yard).
Richard Thomas Parker, aged 29 shot both his parents. After a drunken row with his father he indulged on a wild fire attack on both his parents. Parker senior survived, his wife was not so lucky. The former Miss Tutbury of Bingham, died as the result of a attempt to save her husband, she was 75 years old.
St Mary's Church - the view from the gallows aoutside, and the prison where so many souls suffered - and still do
Execution outside Shire Hall Nottingham
The Galleries of Justice today
THIS COUNTY HALL WAS ERECTED IN THE YEAR MDCCLXX AND IN THE TENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF HIS MAJESTY GEARGE THE III
The Galleries of Justice today
Many souls have departed on these steps.
In the report of the execution of Richard Thomas Parker printed in the Nottingham review 12th August 1864 the postion of the scaffold is given. "The scaffold was errected directly in front of the Shire Hall. The drop being the upper part of the lintel of the doorway".
Axe (Securis) : Free from care, secure
Cap (Pileus) : Felt cap worn by magistrates.
Bundle of Rods (Fasces) : The Symbol of a magistrates power.
(With axe blade protruding).
Who is said to haunt the Galleries of Justice ..... Just to give you a taster before we start on the tour and history along with the Urban legends and photo's
A ghost is said to lurk in the rooms hollowed out of the sandstone rock, it seems to be that of a woman panting and sobbing. A pitiful cry from a past resident.
There has been numerous reports from staff and members of the public of cold spots, sightings of shadowy figures, odd inexplicable smells and sounds of the long gone imates shuffling and whispering.
Museum Curator Louise Connell has worked at the mueum for almost three years and admits there is "something odd about the building", the 1833 prision wing seems to be the centre of activity.
The 'Phantom Gaoler' locks cell doors after the staff have opened them! - he seems to be very security minded!
A young boy in ragged trousers has been seem scribbling on the wall of the exercise yard - and has even been shouted at for doing so by staff.
A cleaning lady has experianced a shadowy figure move across the Gallery in the Court of Justice.
Loud footsteps have been heard coming towards visitors, up the steps to place where prisoners used to be hung.
