THE WORST AND HORRIBLE BURNING AT THE STAKE.

 Burning at the stake.

Heresy.

Burning at the stake in public was used in England & Wales to punish heresy for both sexes from at least 1222 to 1612 with the death of Edward Wightman, who was the last to be burnt for this crime at Lichfield in Staffordshire on the 11th of April of that year. 

It is not known when burning was first used in Britain, but there is a recorded burning for heresy in 1222, when a deacon of the church was burnt at Oxford for embracing the Jewish faith so he could marry a Jew.

In 1401, the king authorised a Statute of Heresy which gave the clergy power to arrest and try those suspected of heresy. The first to suffer under the new act was one William Sautre, a priest, who was executed at (Kings) Lynn in 1402. 

This statute was repealed but in 1553, burning was re-introduced by Henry VIII’s daughter, Mary Tudor ("Bloody Mary") and 274 burnings of both sexes for heresy were recorded during her five year reign (reign of terror) between 1553 and 1558. In most cases their only "crime" was following the Protestant faith. The normal place of execution in London being at West Smith Field (now called just Smithfield).

 An engraving of the period shows that these unfortunates were stood in empty tar barrels at the stake and then had faggots heaped round them. It was not the practice to strangle heretics before they were burnt so they died slow and horrible deaths - being literally burned alive.

Burning was in use throughout Europe at this time and was particularly favoured by the Spanish Inquisition as it did not involve shedding of the victim's blood, which was disallowed under the prevailing 

Roman Catholic doctrine, and because it ensured that the condemned had no body to take into the next life (which was believed to be a very severe punishment in itself).  It was also thought at that time that burning cleansed the soul which was considered important for those convicted of witchcraft and heresy. It is claimed that as many as 200,000 people were burned for witchcraft in Europe in 16th and 17th centuries.

Witchcraft.

Although many people might associate burning at the stake with witchcraft, it was only in Scotland that burning was the punishment for witchcraft.  In England and Wales witchcraft was an ordinary felony, punishable by hanging.  Burning was widely used for that offence in other parts of Europe - particularly France, Switzerland and the Nordic countries. 

Scotland did burn witches and there are many recorded instances of both sexes suffering this fate.  

On the 18th of May 1671 Janet McMuldroche and Elspeth Thompson were strangled and burned at Dumfries.  The following are the words of the warrant for their execution, dated two days earlier : “Forsamuch as in ane court of Justiciarie holden be us within the Tolbuithe of drumfreis vpon the fyftein day of May instant Jonet McMuldroche and Elspeth Thomsone were found guiltie be ane ascyse of the severall articles of witchcraft spe[cif]it in the verdict given againest them

 theiranent Were decerned and adjudged be us the Lords Commissioners of Justiciarie to be tane vpon thursday next the eighteen day of May instant Betuixt tuo and foure houres in the afernoone to the ordinare place of executione the toune of drumfreis And their to be wirried at ane stake till they be dead And theirafter their bodies to be burnt to ashes And all their moveable goods and geir to be escheat.”

Note : (wirried means strangled and escheat means confiscated)

The last person to be burned as a witch in Scotland was Janet Horne at Dornoch in Ross shire in 1727. Janet had been accused of witching her daughter to make her hands and feet grow into horses hooves, so that she could ride her. The daughter had a deformed hand, due to being “shod by the Devil”!  She was also tried but acquitted.  She later had a child who exhibited the same kind of congenital hand deformity.  A stone at the place of execution commemorates her death. The witchcraft Acts were repealed there in 1736.

High Treason and Petty Treason.

Burning was the punishment for women convicted of High Treason or Petty Treason. High Treason is a crime committed against the Sovereign or the state, Petty Treason is a crime committed against a superior, e.g. the murder of a husband or an employer. 

High Treason included such offences as counterfeiting money and "coining" (the clipping of coins for pieces of silver and gold which were melted down to produce counterfeit coins), possession of coining equipment and colouring base metal coins (to pass them off as of higher value). Oddly, men who committed these same crimes suffered just ordinary hanging having been first drawn to the place of execution on a hurdle.