Hung, Drawn and Quartered -- Treason in Tudor England

An explanation of the famous form of execution. Clip from a documentary on Elizabeth I by David Starkey.

Treason which regarded as an extremely serious offence, particularly acts against the monarch as this was seen to affect society as a whole. The punishment for such treachery had to fully represent the seriousness of the act hence the ghastly nature of the procedure of being hung, drawn and quartered.

Tudor monarchs were not alone in employing this form of execution and a prime example of this is the death of William Wallace who was hung drawn and quartered at Smithfield in 1305 under the reign of Edward I.

Notable Tudor figures who meet this bloody fate include Francis Dereham, Katherine Howard's lover prior to her marriage to Henry VIII and Anthony Babington and the other conspirators of the Babington plot in 1586. Many noblemen were first sentenced to this death but were granted the more noble and swift death of beheading instead of this agonising procedure.

Many people also associate this form of execution with Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 who attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the State Opening.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Hang
• drawn
• quartered
• Tudor
• monarchs
• Henry
• VIII
• Elizabeth
• executions
• treason

[PsilliPig]

Government is not natural to humans. We prefer an open system of individual responsibility, but unfortunately there is a flaw in the human genome, and some individuals come into being with the need to control and parasitize others. They have no thought for the terrors and sorrows of the wars they cause. They are called narcissists, psychopaths, sociopaths and world leaders.

[thewelly1973]

this is great. It should be done to all the scumbags in this country which have made britain not great any more

[DarrenBonJovi]

Although the evisceration and emasculation (of male traitors) was part of the ritual of the execution, I doubt many lived long enough to see their entrails burned in front of them. Surely most would have died of shock and/or blood loss within seconds. But as it was part of the legal stipulation, it would have to have been done anyway whether the victim was dead or alive.

[jaytrosvig]

Is the First Elizabeth connected to the current Elizabeth II?

[Kevin32001]

@TheSleepykitten George Washington would also draw and quarter people during the American Revolutionary War.

[1958debs]

@PsilliPig And yet, we need to be governed, only not without a voice.

[SamKat86]

@overummqualified Yes, but keep in mind, Anne was a queen, and her fate was Henry's choice, though she was innocent.

[karezza6]

I would hang the following:

Billy Bragg

George Galloway

Ken Livingstone

Harriet Harman

Ed Milliband

Terry Christian

Ken Loach

Ed Balls

[DJHastenz]

geez guys that deal sounds a bit overkill what happened a good boof over the head and be done with it

[LunitaValeria]

@alanheath Yes, one of Katherine Howard's lovers was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered.

[TheSleepykitten]

extremely cruel woman that Elizabeth