"Gallows tree" redirects here. For the folk song, see The Gallows Tree.
A gallows (or less precisely scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks of grain or minerals, usually positioned in markets or toll gates. The term was also used for a projecting framework from which a ship's anchor might be raised so that it is no longer sitting on the bed of the river, dock (etc). Accordingly "weighing [the] anchor,” connotes raising it, the apparatus used to avoid striking the ship’s hull.
The term "gallows" was derived from a Proto-Germanic word galgô that refers to a "pole", "rod" or "tree branch".[1] With the beginning of Christianization, Ulfilas used the term galga in his Gothic Testament to refer to the cross of Christ, until the use of the Latin term (crux = cross) prevailed.[2]
Forms of hanging
Gallows can take several forms:
The simplest form (as often used in the game "Hangman") resembles an inverted "L" (or a Greek/Cyrillic "Г"), with a single upright and a horizontal beam to which the ropenoose would be attached.
The horizontal crossbeam is supported at both ends.
The Tyburn gallows, commonly known as Tyburn Tree, was triangular in plan, with three uprights and three crossbeams, allowing up to 24 people to be executed simultaneously when all three sides were used.
Types
Permanent
Gallows may be permanent, partly acting as a symbol of justice. The French word for gallows, potence, stems from the Latin word potentia, meaning "power". Many old prints of European cities show such a permanent gallows erected on a prominent hill outside the walls, or more commonly near the castle or other seat of justice. In the modern era the gallows were often installed inside a prison; freestanding on a scaffold in the yard, erected at ground level over a pit, enclosed in a small shed, built into the gallery of a prison wing (with the beam resting in brackets on opposite walls), or in a purpose-built execution suite.
Temporary
Gallows can also be temporary. In some of the cases, they were even moved to the location of the crime. In England, pirates were typically executed using a temporary gallows, at low tide in the intertidal zone, then left for the sea to wash over them during the following high tides.[3]John the Painter was hanged in 1777 from the mizzenmast of HMS Arethusa for arson in royal dockyards, the highest temporary gallows erected in British history.[4]
The only surviving New Drop gallows in the UK are in Rutland County Museum. The gallows were portable and were set up at the gaol (jail) when needed. These gallows were first used in 1813 to hang two burglars. The New Drop design was not very effective as the drop was too short to break the neck cleanly.
Portable
If a crime took place inside, gallows were sometimes erected—and the criminal hanged—at the front door. In some cases of multiple offenders it was not uncommon to erect multiple temporary gallows, with one noose per condemned criminal. In one case a condemned strangled to death in agony for forty minutes until he finally died from asphyxiation.[citation needed]
Horse and cart
Hanging people from early gallows sometimes involved fitting the noose around the person's neck while he or she was on a ladder or in a horse-drawn cart underneath. Removing the ladder or driving the cart away left the person dangling by the neck to slowly strangle. A noted example of this type of execution in the USA was the hanging of British spy John André in 1780.
Later, a "scaffold" with a trapdoor tended to be used, so victims dropped down and died quickly from a broken neck rather than through strangulation, especially if extra weights were fixed to their ankles.
During the era of public execution in London, England, a prominent gallows stood at Tyburn, on what is now Marble Arch. Later executions occurred outside Newgate Prison, where the Old Bailey now stands.
^"Galgen, der". Digital dictionary of the German language (DWDS) [de] (in German).
^Charles Archibald Anderson Scott (1885). Ulfilas, apostle of the Goths: together with an account of the Gothic churches and their decline. Cambridge: Macmillan and Bowes. p. 133.
^"Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Histor". Portsmouthdockyard.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gallows.
wikibooks:A Researcher's Guide to Local History Terminology: Local History terminology.
April 27, 2023
gallows, this, article, about, execution, device, other, uses, disambiguation, tree, redirects, here, folk, song, tree, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsou. This article is about the execution device For other uses see Gallows disambiguation Gallows tree redirects here For the folk song see The Gallows Tree This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Gallows news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message A gallows or less precisely scaffold is a frame or elevated beam typically wooden from which objects can be suspended or weighed Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks of grain or minerals usually positioned in markets or toll gates The term was also used for a projecting framework from which a ship s anchor might be raised so that it is no longer sitting on the bed of the river dock etc Accordingly weighing the anchor connotes raising it the apparatus used to avoid striking the ship s hull Unidentified men wait at the gallows before execution of Melquiades Chapa and Jose Buenrostro on May 19 1916 in Brownsville Texas Illutration of hanging during the Thirty Years War These gallows in Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park are maintained for historical purposes by Arizona State Parks New Drop gallows in Rutland County Museum Execution of Mary Surratt Lewis Powell David Herold and George Atzerodt on July 7 1865 after trapdoor has been sprung at Fort McNair in Washington In modern usage the term has come to mean almost exclusively a scaffold or gibbet used for execution by hanging Contents 1 Etymology 2 Forms of hanging 3 Types 3 1 Permanent 3 2 Temporary 3 3 Portable 3 4 Horse and cart 4 Examples 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksEtymology EditThe term gallows was derived from a Proto Germanic word galgo that refers to a pole rod or tree branch 1 With the beginning of Christianization Ulfilas used the term galga in his Gothic Testament to refer to the cross of Christ until the use of the Latin term crux cross prevailed 2 Forms of hanging EditGallows can take several forms The simplest form as often used in the game Hangman resembles an inverted L or a Greek Cyrillic G with a single upright and a horizontal beam to which the rope noose would be attached The horizontal crossbeam is supported at both ends The Tyburn gallows commonly known as Tyburn Tree was triangular in plan with three uprights and three crossbeams allowing up to 24 people to be executed simultaneously when all three sides were used Types EditPermanent Edit Gallows may be permanent partly acting as a symbol of justice The French word for gallows potence stems from the Latin word potentia meaning power Many old prints of European cities show such a permanent gallows erected on a prominent hill outside the walls or more commonly near the castle or other seat of justice In the modern era the gallows were often installed inside a prison freestanding on a scaffold in the yard erected at ground level over a pit enclosed in a small shed built into the gallery of a prison wing with the beam resting in brackets on opposite walls or in a purpose built execution suite Temporary Edit Gallows can also be temporary In some of the cases they were even moved to the location of the crime In England pirates were typically executed using a temporary gallows at low tide in the intertidal zone then left for the sea to wash over them during the following high tides 3 John the Painter was hanged in 1777 from the mizzenmast of HMS Arethusa for arson in royal dockyards the highest temporary gallows erected in British history 4 The only surviving New Drop gallows in the UK are in Rutland County Museum The gallows were portable and were set up at the gaol jail when needed These gallows were first used in 1813 to hang two burglars The New Drop design was not very effective as the drop was too short to break the neck cleanly Portable Edit If a crime took place inside gallows were sometimes erected and the criminal hanged at the front door In some cases of multiple offenders it was not uncommon to erect multiple temporary gallows with one noose per condemned criminal In one case a condemned strangled to death in agony for forty minutes until he finally died from asphyxiation citation needed Horse and cart Edit Hanging people from early gallows sometimes involved fitting the noose around the person s neck while he or she was on a ladder or in a horse drawn cart underneath Removing the ladder or driving the cart away left the person dangling by the neck to slowly strangle A noted example of this type of execution in the USA was the hanging of British spy John Andre in 1780 Later a scaffold with a trapdoor tended to be used so victims dropped down and died quickly from a broken neck rather than through strangulation especially if extra weights were fixed to their ankles During the era of public execution in London England a prominent gallows stood at Tyburn on what is now Marble Arch Later executions occurred outside Newgate Prison where the Old Bailey now stands Examples EditHangman s Elm Triberg GallowsSee also EditCapital punishment Christian cross Dule Tree Gibbet Jail tree Moot hillReferences Edit Galgen der Digital dictionary of the German language DWDS de in German Charles Archibald Anderson Scott 1885 Ulfilas apostle of the Goths together with an account of the Gothic churches and their decline Cambridge Macmillan and Bowes p 133 Konstam Angus 1998 Pirates 1660 1730 Osprey Publishing ISBN 1 85532 706 6 Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Histor Portsmouthdockyard org uk Retrieved 2022 09 04 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gallows wikibooks A Researcher s Guide to Local History Terminology Local History terminology Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gallows amp oldid 1151256642, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
