The Hanging Judge....

Judge Jeffreys – the Hanging Judge….

Back in the 1970’s when I was a young detective working in the deep East End of London, I would regularly have a ‘wet lunch’ in the old Dock area of Wapping. This is quite a famous Cockney part of London.   It is very ancient and steeped in history being on the banks of the Thames and the heart of the old docklands.

In the 80's the Yuppies moved in, the docks were closed and the many warehouses turned into posh apartments. In my drinking days, sometimes, and maybe too often, we would partake in what we called the ‘Wapping Crawl’ where we would have a pint of beer in all the pubs in Wapping. I never did find out how many pubs there were or in fact how many pints we drank but the number is definitely in double figures.

The older officers, and especially the Thames Division River Police, who would often join us, would point out the ‘historical’ sites, especially the gruesome ones.

Beside one of the pubs, The Town of Ramsgate, is ‘Wapping Stairs’, which leads down to the actual river shore. There, they would point out the old wood jutting out of the ground in the water where they would tell us about the people who used to be chained there while the tides came and went. There was an execution dock nearby. It was also there, they claimed and rightly so, that the infamous Judge Jeffreys was captured by a mob whilst trying to board a ship to flee the country in 1688 dressed as a sailor. He was held, for his own protection, in the Tower of London.

This Judge Jeffreys should not be confused with a similarly named Judge from Detroit. Back in spring 1932, a Wilbur Day was brought into court there for carrying concealed weapons. He had no money to retain a lawyer. "Never mind", said Judge Edward J. Jeffries, "I’ll be your attorney. Prosecutor, call your witness!"

With that the judge removed his spectacles and stepped down from the bench. As Lawyer Jeffries, he cross-examined the police officer. He said that he had approached the defendant, searched him and found in his pocket a piece of pipe wrapped in newspaper.

"If it pleases the court" Lawyer Jeffries addressed the vacant bench, "I move dismissal on grounds of illegal search and seizure". He then hopped back up on the bench, put on his glasses and as Judge Jeffries, he gave his ruling: "Counsel’s motion is granted. Case dismissed". Judge Jeffries is then said to have shaken hands with Lawyer Jeffries.

As Wilbur left the courtroom, he was heard to say "The law sure is a crazy business".

Our George Jeffreys was born in Wrexham, Wales in 1648. Although his grandfather was a judge, when George decided on a career in law, his parents greatly disapproved. 

After a Cambridge University education he joined the Inner Temple in 1663. He began to practice law at an early age. He was appointed Solicitor General to the Duke of York, later James 11 and was knighted in 1677. He became a Recorder of London (a formal Judge) in 1678 and at the age of 33, he became Lord Chief Justice of England and a privy counselor. Two years later he became Lord Chancellor.

Historically, the period of his life was full of turmoil. Since the death of Oliver Cromwell (curse and spit at the mention of his name) in 1658, the monarchy was restored. Charles 11 was now on the throne. England’s religions were divided between Catholic and Protestant and things were always on the boil.

The Duke of York, (Jeffrey’s friend) was next in line for the throne when Charles was to die. This he did in 1685 and the throne was taken by James 11 (the same Duke of York). He began to impose Catholicism on the mostly Protestant English. Trouble was brewing in a big way.

Charles 11 had also left an illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth who was the only surviving Protestant claimant to the throne. He organised a rebellion, especially in the South West of England, which was quickly defeated. The ‘rebels’ were arrested and the infamous trials began.

Although great numbers were in fact hanged for treason, the vast majority were sold as slaves to the West Indies – in particular Barbados. This had in fact been the practice for many years. In fact, they were treated worse than African slaves were as they 'cost nothing’.

One of the most horrible aspects of Jeffrey’s courtroom behaviour was the way he would treat those charged. He regularly used foul language and his descriptions of the sentence he was about to impose would regularly cause the poor unfortunate to faint in the dock. He would rant and rave and regularly lose his temper completely.

He did in fact suffer from severe kidney and bladder stones, which must have been a contributing factor but not justification.

His trials of the rebels became known as the ‘Bloody Assizes’ and for men, execution for treason was customarily by hanging, drawing and quartering. It was not as lengthy as other similar tortures but had its impact on involuntary spectators. Women, so convicted were burned alive.

It is interesting regarding the ‘burning’ that not long after this period when some Brahmins of Sindh petitioned to be allowed to commit ‘suttee’ (the burning of widows with their deceased husbands), Sir Charles Napier is quoted as saying "It is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and hang them".

Meanwhile, as James 11 was reeking revenge on all those that had rebelled and not accepted him as King, the powerful Protestants of England were already plotting further. After the execution of the Duke of Monmouth, the only Protestant claimant to the throne was supposedly William of Orange, the husband of James 11’s daughter Mary (yes, he of the Battle of the Boyne fame). William was invited to invade England and drive out James. If successful he would be offered the throne with Queen Mary.

This is the way history went with James escaping to France and William taking the throne.

Jeffrey also tried to make good his escape in 1688 but was mobbed in Wapping and for his own protection, he was held in the Tower of London where he died not long afterwards.

As my old mum used to say, always have something good to say about the dead. On behalf of Jeffrey, later historians have said "The seventeenth-century judge was compelled by important differences in legal procedure to play what seems at first sight an improperly large part in many trials. In actions for treason and for felony, the accused was not allowed counsel. He could himself cross-examine witnesses if he wished, and he might make a statement, but not on oath. In these circumstances the judge had to keep an eye on the prosecution, supervise the defence and himself examine with the greatest severity any witnesses whom he suspected of committing perjury. It was his duty to excavate the facts and present his discoveries to the jury".

However, after all is said and done, Judge George Jeffreys will forever remain known in English history as ‘That Bloody Judge’. 

--------------Mike---------------