force of law, which was, ‘ That if a felon be taken within the liberty»
* of the foreft o f Hardwick, with goods ftolen out, or within the faidl
‘ precinils, either hand-habend, back-berand, or confeffion'd, to the value*
‘ of thirteen-pence half-penny, he ihall, after three market-days or*
‘ meeting-days within the town of Halifax, next after fuch his ap-l
*i prehenfion, and being condemned, be taken to the gibbet, and
c there have his head cut from its body *.’
The offender had always a fair trial ; for as foon as he was takenJ
he was brought to the Lord’s bailiff at Halifax: he was then ex-1
pofed on the three markets (which here were held thrice in a week)«
placed in a flocks, with the goods ftolen on his back, or, if the theft*
was of the cattle kind, they were placed by him ; and this was done]
both to ftrike terror into others, and to produce new informations!
againft him +. The bailiff then fummoned four freeholders of each]
town within the foreft to form a jury. The felon and profecutors
were brought face to face; the goods, the cow, or horfe, or whatfo-j
ever was ftolen, produced. I f he was found guilty, he was remanded]
to prifon, had a week’s time allowed for preparation, and then was]
conveyed to this fpot, where his head was ftruck off, by this machine.
I fhould have premifed, that if the criminal, either after ap-j
prehenfion, or in the way to execution, could efcape out of the limits]
of the foreft (part being clofe to the town) the bailiff had no farther
power over him ; but if he fhould be caught within the pre-]
cinfts at any time after, he was immediately executed on his former
fentence.
3 This privilege was very freely ufed during the reign of Elizabeth I
* Wright, 84, and Halifax and its gibbet-Iaw, &c. 1S.
t GMet-Law fays, that he is expofed after conviftion.
:■ the
the records before that time were loft. Twenty-five fuffered in her
reign, and at left twelve from 1623 to 1650 ; after which I believe
the privilege was no more exerted.
This machine of death is now deftroyed ; but I faw one of the
fame.kind in a room under the parlement-houfe at Edinburgh, where-
it was introduced by the Regent Morton, who took a model of it as
he pailed through Halifax, and at length fuffered by.it himfelf. It
Is in form of a painter’s eafel, and about ten feet high: at four
jfeet from the bottom is a crofs bar, on which the felon lays his
[head, which is kept down by another placed above. In the inner
elgqs of the frame are grooves; in thefe is placed a iharp ax,
with a vaft weight of lead, fupported at the very fummit with
a peg; to that peg is faftened a cord,, which the executioner
cutting, the ax falls, and does the affair effe&ually, without fuf-
fering the unhappy criminal to undergo a repetition of ftrokes, as
pas been the cafe in the common method. I'muft add, that if the
Merer is condemned for ftealing a horfe, or a cow, the firing is
tied to the beaft, which on being whipped, pulls out the peg, and
becomes the executioner,
' On defeending a hill, have a fine view of a vale, with the Calder
mcandring through it. Towards the upper end are two other little
vales, whole fides are filled with, fmall houies, and bottoms with
fulling-mills. Here are feveral good houfes, the property of wealthy
clothiers, with warehoufes in a fuperb and elegant ftyle; the fair
(dentation- of induftrious riches.. Dine at a neat alehoufe, at the foot
°f the hill, at the head of. the canal, which conveys the manufactures
to the Trent. Call here on my old co'rrefpondent Mr. Thomas
\wtrn,, and am furprized with 'his vaft colle&ion of natural hiftory,
A a. a 3 got