Today’s Tortur’d Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
In 17th century England there was an interpretation of the law by many accused persons that while their goods and chattels would be forfeit to the king on being executed, nevertheless should they die while being persuaded to plead, their worldly goods would pass to their families, as no death sentence had been passed on them by the court. The historian Holinshead reported it as:
Such fellons as stand mute and speake not at their arraignmente are pressed to death by huge weights laid up on a board that lieth over their brest, and a sharp stone under their backs, and these commonlie hold their peace, thereby to save their goods unto their wives and children; which if they were condemned, should be confiscated to the king.
One man who was prepared to die slowly and painfully rather than deprive his successors of their birthright was George Strangeways, a Royalist major in the Civil War. Rather than have his estate confiscated by the victorious Roundheads, he leased it to his sister Mabellah, with whom he lived. Mabellah, however, got married, and George, fearing the loss of his possessions to the newcomer, murdered him. Determined to defy the authorities to the bitter end, he remained mute at his trial in February 1658. The court sentenced him to be pressed, but vindictively ordered that the planks on which the victim usually lay should be omitted, so that by lying on an earthen floor, death would be delayed.
Another unfortunate soul being pressed to death.
The press at that time was a triangular board, the acute angle of which was positioned over the victim’s heart, and George Strangeways’ suffering must have been extreme, before the merciful end came.
He was prohibited that usuall Favour in that kind, to have a piece of Timber layed under his back to Accelerate its penetration, and the Assistants laid on a first weight, which finding it too light for a sudden Execution, many of those standing by added their own weight to disburthen him of his pain. In the space of eight or ten minutes at the most, his unfettered Soul left her tortur’d Mansion. And he from that violent Paroxisme fell into the quiet sleep of Death.
Culled from: Rack, Rope and Red Hot Pincers
Strangeways is a good name for him. (There’s a famous prison in England by that name. Wonder if it’s named after him?) Anyway, he certainly had a unique way of looking out for his sister. Leave her all his goods, but kill her husband off to make sure he didn’t get any of them.