The Executioner's Art

Tony Ellis · 15 Oct 2012, 22:27 · from 2012-October.txt.gz

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From: tonyellis69 at btopenworld.com (Tony Ellis)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2012 23:27:14 +0100
Subject: (urth) The Executioner's Art
Message-ID: <CA+WO8_5S0epNYDc4bGxnW1ydeL2tuXDNTnOu4sLJmbtSO=6KkA at mail.gmail.com>

Jeff Wilson wrote:

> it seems that this eyewitness account bears
> out the subtle manipulation of the condemned and unhesitating resolve of
> the headman as depicted in the BOTNS.

There's some historical evidence too. Poised to make the killing
stroke, Anne Boleyn's executioner is supposed to have said "Boy, fetch
my sword" to misdirect her at the crucial moment.

He was a skilled French headsman, brought in especially for the job.
Judging by the accounts of the last moments of Thomas Cromwell and
Mary Queen of Scots, our own British executioners of the time would
have given Master Palaemon a coronary.

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