How Being Hanged, Drawn, And Quartered Became The Most Brutal Punishment In History

 

The hanged, drawn, and quartered execution method was first devised in 13th-century England to punish men found guilty of high treason — and it was only abolished in 1870.

Hanged Drawn And Quartered

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Members of the Gunpowder Plot who were hanged, drawn, and quartered in 1606.

In 1484, an Englishman named William Collingbourne was found guilty of high treason. His crime? Writing a couplet that insulted King Richard III and his top advisors. His sentence? Death. But not just any death — Collingbourne would be executed by being hanged, drawn, and quartered.

First, Collingbourne was dragged, or drawn, to his place of execution. He was hanged until he was nearly dead and then disemboweled. Still conscious, Collingbourne is said to have cried: “Oh Lord Jesus, yet more trouble!” as his intestines were thrown into a fire before his eyes. Then, the final stage of his execution took place when Collingbourne’s limbs were torn from his body.

This gruesome punishment was reserved for men found guilty of high treason, and it was used in England for centuries. Not only did it subject the victim to hours of grisly and painful torture, but it acted as a warning for others — such executions often drew crowds — to toe the line and respect the crown.

So, how did this horrific execution method begin? Who were some of the people who suffered death by being hanged, drawn, and quartered? And how did it finally end?

‘The King’s Pleasure’: Inside The Gruesome Punishment For Treason Against The Crown

Hanging, drawing, and quartering first emerged in the 13th century as a particularly torturous execution reserved for those guilty of treason. Though it was not codified into law until the 14th century, the method usually followed the same steps, subjecting the victim to hours of pain and humiliation.

British law informed the victim: “That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.”

Man Being Drawn To Execution

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A victim of hanging, drawing, and quartering being dragged to his execution.

It was thus broken into roughly three parts. First, the victim would be dragged to their execution, typically by a horse. Sometimes, they would be tied to a sled (a hurdle). Though this may seem merciful, it was only to ensure that they stayed alive. Some believe that this is the “drawn” part of the execution.

Next, the victim would be hanged — but not until they were dead, only until they lost consciousness. Then, they would be cut down, disemboweled, and castrated (some believe that this, not the dragging, is the “drawing” part). Often, their entrails would be burned before their eyes.

At this point, many people — the lucky ones — died from shock or other injury. Others were still alive until the moment they were beheaded. But being hanged, drawn, and quartered had one last step.

After the victims were dead (though some historical depictions of the execution method portray victims with their heads still attached for this step), they would be “quartered,” which meant that their bodies would be torn into four parts. Sometimes, they were simply chopped up by an executioner, but other times, their arms and legs would reportedly be tied to four different horses. The horses would then be spurred to race off in different directions, thus tearing the victim into four pieces.

These executions were usually held in public before huge, bloodthirsty crowds. However, to make sure the message reached anyone else tempted to defy the king,