Bygone Punishments

About this book

Bygone Punishments is a Victorian‑era survey of historic penal practices, compiled by William Andrews and first issued in 1899. The work opens with a meticulous preface in which Andrews explains that the volume gathers material from earlier newspaper series and pamphlets on “obsolete punishments,” expanding those articles into new chapters. The opening pages then launch into a detailed account of hanging, tracing its legal authority from medieval abbeys to royal courts, and interweaving specific anecdotes, such as the mass execution of Jews for coin‑clipping in 1279 and the curious “low‑water” hangings of the Humber Admiralty. The text proceeds through a contents list that promises chapters on drawing, quartering, pressing, drowning, burning, and a host of lesser‑known devices, each illustrated with period engravings.

Andrews writes in a brisk, fact‑laden style typical of late‑nineteenth‑century antiquarian literature, blending legal excerpts, church records, and colorful local legends. His narrative voice is authoritative yet conversational, often inserting witty asides while maintaining scholarly rigor. Readers with a taste for historical criminology, folklore, or the social history of law will find the book rewarding; it especially appeals to those who enjoy richly detailed, source‑driven explorations of how societies once administered justice.