{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6467b7de03f4220011a934bd/65b373d985ae6700166138e5?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"128. We Don't Burn Witches with Blessin Adams","description":"<p>In this riveting episode of History Rage, host Paul delves into the gruesome details of executions in early modern Britain with the expert insights of historian Blessin Adams. Covering a wide range of topics from heresy trials to the role of executioners, the discussion provides a unique and unsettling perspective on the historical practices of punishment.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Points:</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Heresy Trials and Executions:</strong></p><ul><li>John Foxe, a contemporary theologian, collected accounts of heresy trials and executions, particularly in his work known as \"Foxe's Book of Martyrs.\"</li><li>The punishment for heresy was intentionally designed to be horrific due to the perceived severity of the crime.</li><li>Blessin highlights the biases in historical accounts, urging caution in interpreting firsthand narratives.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Burning at the Stake for Heresy:</strong></p><ul><li>The descriptions of heretics burning at the stake often glorify the martyrs, with a balance of horror and strange beauty portrayed by Fox.</li><li>Blessin explores the unintended consequence of encouraging admiration for martyrs, possibly influencing others to face a similar fate.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Petty Traitors and True Crime Presses:</strong></p><ul><li>Execution accounts of petty traitors differ significantly from those of heretics, emphasizing societal disgust and fear towards women who committed violent acts.</li><li>True crime presses in the early modern period sensationalized these executions for entertainment and profit.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Execution Methods:</strong></p><ul><li>Blessin discusses the absence of professional executioners like Pierpoint and Marwood in the early modern period.</li><li>Hangings were a common method, and Blessin describes the disturbing scene of multiple hangings at the Tyburn tree.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Attempts to Hasten Executions:</strong></p><ul><li>The discussion touches on historical attempts to hasten death using substances like tar pitch on the condemned's clothes.</li><li>William Blackstone's argument that women were burned to maintain modesty due to concerns about nudity is explored.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Modesty and Execution Practices:</strong></p><ul><li>Blessin shares insights into the strange dichotomy of modesty in executions, citing instances of women being buried alive to maintain decency.</li><li>The discussion also addresses the myth of the executioner's mask.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Witnessing Executions:</strong></p><ul><li>Blessin sheds light on the role of prison ordinaries who had unique access to condemned individuals and provided firsthand accounts of executions.</li><li>The fascination with executions extended to public interest in final speeches and confessions, leading to a profitable market for printed accounts.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>The Harsh Reality of Hangings:</strong></p><ul><li>Blessin explores the brutal aspects of hangings, including family members attempting to expedite the deaths of their loved ones and the hangman's involvement.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with Blessin Adams:</strong></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://www.blessinadams.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Website</a></li><li>Twitter: <a href=\"https://twitter.com/adams_blessin\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">@adams_blessin</a></li><li><strong>Great and Horrible News:</strong> Murder and Mayhem in Early Modern Britain [<a href=\"https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9780008500221\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">History Rage Bookshop</a>]</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Support History Rage on Patreon:</strong></p><ul><li><a href=\"https://www.patreon.com/historyrage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Patreon</a></li></ul><p><br></p>","author_name":"Paul Bavill"}