7. THE TRAITOR
It happened 320 years ago on 7 August 1782.............
A traitor, David TYRIE, was found guilty of passing naval intelligence to the French.
The judge at Winchester passed the following sentence "that he should be hanged by the neck, but not until he was dead; that he should then be cut down & his bowels taken out and burned before his face; and that his head should be taken off, his body cut into four quarters and he be placed at his majesty's disposal".
The barbarous sentence was carried out on Southsea Common 14 August 1782.
A large crowd had assembled and after the unhappy man had been hanging for some time, he was cut down and immediately disembowelled and beheaded the blood spurting over the spectators. This signalled the crowd to rush forward and a scene of unprecedented brutality followed.
Men and woman fought with each other to get bits of the traitors body!
His fingers were cut off for tobacco stoppers; handkerchiefs were soaked in his blood and it all finished in a general fight.
The military tried to restore order and were pelted with stones and things only quietened down after several people had been grievously injured.
The head of TYRIE was secured by Buck ADAMS, the keeper of the Gosport bridewell where it was exhibited for many years.
It happened 320 years ago on 7 August 1782.............
A traitor, David TYRIE, was found guilty of passing naval intelligence to the French.
The judge at Winchester passed the following sentence "that he should be hanged by the neck, but not until he was dead; that he should then be cut down & his bowels taken out and burned before his face; and that his head should be taken off, his body cut into four quarters and he be placed at his majesty's disposal".
The barbarous sentence was carried out on Southsea Common 14 August 1782.
A large crowd had assembled and after the unhappy man had been hanging for some time, he was cut down and immediately disembowelled and beheaded the blood spurting over the spectators. This signalled the crowd to rush forward and a scene of unprecedented brutality followed.
Men and woman fought with each other to get bits of the traitors body!
His fingers were cut off for tobacco stoppers; handkerchiefs were soaked in his blood and it all finished in a general fight.
The military tried to restore order and were pelted with stones and things only quietened down after several people had been grievously injured.
The head of TYRIE was secured by Buck ADAMS, the keeper of the Gosport bridewell where it was exhibited for many years.
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