Ludicrous crimes that would have gotten you hanged in 18th century England

Ash Woods
Ash Woods
Sep 6, 2018 · 8 min read
“The Hanging” by Jacques Callot, 1632

Imagine being hanged for stealing a handkerchief, cutting down a tree and for blackening your face.

If you were living in England in the 18th century, you could be hanged for all these offences. From 1688 to 1815, law makers in England introduced the death penalty for a myriad of offences in a bid to deter property loss. Poaching of deer…

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Ash Woods

Written by

Ash Woods

I write about history and true crime

The Crime Historian

True crimes and historical crimes

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