burning women england england burning legal punishment inflicted women found guilty high treason petty treason period centuries female publicly burnt stake alive range activities including men guilty burned stake committed high treason instead hanged drawn english supposed difference sentencing terrible sensation explained desire publicly expose woman body public executions attended affairs contemporary reports detail cries women burned alive later commonplace convict body burned post half eighteenth century changing attitudes public displays prompted sir practice parliament bill means attempt end public burning women led treason act abolished sentence crimes burning treason end thirteenth century offences lord king high treason defined sovereign codified king edward iii reign treason act clarified exactly crimes constituted treason following earlier somewhat interpretations england legal codes instance high treason committed found king death coin high treason remained distinct known petty treason killing superior husband wife twelfth century contemporary authors attempts differentiate high treason petty treason enhanced indicate treated seriously ordinary offence individual commit viewed seriously accused personally attacked monarch high treason demanded ultimate punishment men guilty crime hanged drawn women drawn burned commentaries laws england 18th century english noted sentence drawn burned alive terrible sensation wrote women burned sex exposing publicly bodies observation historian flame rise consumed clothes revealing poor opinion historian suggest solution hanging tree concludes occasional live burial women europe gave possibility struggling kicking female hanging fantasies watching males law public burning introduced reign allowed execution persons sexes found guilty thought dangerous souls bishops empowered arrest suspected offences related convicted send burned presence people place act repealed revived years later request queen mary frequent use punishment allowed repealed act supremacy act allowed ecclesiastical commissions deal occasional instances persons declared guilty burned writ issued burning finally ended ecclesiastical jurisdiction act allowed ecclesiastical courts charge people doctrine opinion limited power execution sentence public executions normally attended large crowds killing charged tortured tower london stage built seat officials presided burning witness proceedings reported badly injured torture unable stand instead pamphlet detailing burning april called describes execution found guilty lee apparently brought foot sheriff officers dressed red place execution confessed having liver given swearing lord offended suffered brought end admitted jealous arguing husband stabbing knife pitch barrel tied stake placed fuel set lee reported desired present pray feeling flames terribly times burning alive murder abolished burning adultery remained mercy condemned flames took hold notable exceptions practice found guilty high treason petty treason apparently rent air cries fire lit early preventing time woman england burned alive law allowed hanging children aged seven years sixteen years age burned winchester poisoning mistress unidentified year old girl imprisoned fortunate found guilty accomplice treason person master request sentenced burn saved intervention 1st bath happened passing changing attitudes indicted 11th february piece false money coin likeness good legal silver coin realm called falsely coin watched reported people led stake stood attached iron bolt driven stake placed neck prayers read taken away course minutes feet kicking body harris death minutes later placed stake body position subsequently burned hours executions like passed little comment press historically fewer women men subjected capital punishment acquitted found guilty lesser charges pardoned condemned centuries past women judged publications calendar succumbed led 18th 19th century women guilty crimes seen villains increasingly cause descent ascribed villainous men people concerned brutality inflicted condemned women opinion activated sense worst women creatures protected revered like women men born commenting harris execution claimed act reflected scandal law disgrace police shocking newspaper asked law species offence inflict punishment woman man harris fate prompted sponsor bill passed abolished practice proposals allowed criminals murderers house_of_lords rejected sympathetic reform england bloody code lord chief justice saw need change law punishment spectacle attended circumstances horror likely strong impression mere hanging effect fact greater degree personal pain sustained criminal flames suffered approach body june hanged burned newspaper called times wrote burning woman subjects man hanging human nature idea mankind laugh long speeches african slavery fine sentiments indian eye sovereign female fellow creature alive putting half penny worth brass savage punishment offence eye god contrasts meet consideration government gentleman magazine addressed prime minister younger woman brought attended priest soon came stake placed instantly removed left suspended placed set fire soon consumed ashes lawyer hoped suffer cruel remain savage legislation escape notice continue disgrace sense country objections bill noted women dead long suffered flames newspapers day distinction times incorrectly stated sullivan burned alive rhetoric opinion rooted growing reverence expected time objections raised perceived drawing burning women halting executions removed dragging public view men simply drawn hanged widening gulf numbers men women london men versus women mirrors similar decline sending women indicate commonly held gender ideals english practices abolition burning received practically attention newspapers owing practical limitations news publish pages enacted sir sheriff london introduced parliament bill altering sentence burning women denounced punishment savage remains norman policy statutes practice common law highlighted sheriff refused carry sentence liable prosecution men attempt end burning women years earlier group lawyers known chairman tasked house_of_commons consideration law proposed reforms replacement burning stake hanging mainly objections interested parties commission proposals law confident believed public opinion house cause humanity change execution venues attracted criticism following burning questioning inequality english law times complained location punishment effect locals burning refused scene changed consequences persons neighbourhood lying ill severely affected smoke issued body unhappy female victim factor fate found guilty bill introduced days fate decided petition respite burning supported sheriff london brought king notice proved successful suggests impending fate lent weight eventual outcome bill abolish burning women treason treason act execution clean striped gown white ribbon black ribbon round cap woman england 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Burning of women in England