Macabre Event at Tyburn

As might be expected turnpikes were not popular. Turnpikes offered the opportunity for considerable lawlessness!¹⁴ These varied from simply disputing charges and ignoring turnpike gates, to violence towards toll collectors and the vandalism of turnpike gates. Occasionally, the turnpike was the scene of riots. Sometimes soldiers confronted rioters with force.

Following riots at Ledbury, armed rioters and townsmen faced each other. The Riot Act was read but the townsmen had already taken two prisoners and a gunfight took place with the aim of freeing them; the result was that one rioter died. The prisoners were duly brought to trial. Benjamin records the result of the trial:

"On Friday, 8th of April, two of the rioters were hanged at Worcester, and a party of soldiers attended the execution, as the turnpike levellers had been very tumultuous at the trial; but no further disturbance took place, Another rioter was hanged at Tyburn.

In the account it is stated that he was cut down by the executioner as usual, but as the coffin was being fastened he thrust back the lid. The executioner would have hanged him again, but the mob prevented it, and carried him to a house and gave him a glass of wine, when he died immediately from haemorrhage."

Perhaps it was false economy to buy wine by the glass!