William Marwood

William Marwood
Born	1818
Died	4 September 1883
Nationality	British
Occupation	Executioner

William Marwood (1818 – 4 September 1883) was a hangman for the British government. He developed the technique of hanging known as the "long drop".

Marwood was originally a cobbler, of Church Lane, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, England.

At the age of 54 he persuaded the governor of Lincoln Castle Gaol to allow him to conduct an execution. The efficient way in which he conducted the hanging of William Frederick Horry without a hitch on 1 April 1872 assisted him in being appointed hangman by the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex in 1874, in succession to William Calcraft, at a retainer of £20 a year plus £10 per execution.

Marwood developed the "long drop" technique of hanging, which ensured that the prisoners' neck was broken instantly at the end of the drop, resulting in the prisoner dying of asphyxia while unconscious. This was considered more humane than the slow death by strangulation caused by the "short drop" method, which was particularly distressing to prison governors and staff who were required to witness executions at close quarters following the abolition of public executions by the Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868.

In his nine years as a hangman, Marwood hanged 176 people, including:

William Marwood influenced James Berry, a retired police officer and friend to take up the role of hangman. During his time Berry improved upon William Marwood's technique of the long drop.

Marwood was one of two executioners to give their name to the character of the hangman in the British Punch and Judy puppet show (Jack Ketch being the better known one).

In Marwood's time there was a popular rhyme which went:

Marwood died in 1883 from pneumonia and jaundice and was buried at Trinity Church, Horncastle, Lincolnshire.

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