Execution Dock: A History of Death and Disgrace on the River Thames

Execution Dock was a hanging site for over 400 years until the 1830s. It is thought that its location in Wapping was set at the low-tide mark in the Thames that marked the jurisdiction of the British Admiralty. It was the Admiralty’s job to deal with any crimes at sea, and people were executed in London whether they committed their crimes abroad or at home. Although London’s prisons had their own scaffolds and hangmen, the Admiralty wanted its own public site of execution at a visible point on the waterfront to warn seafarers to behave or face the scaffold.

Execution Dock House on Wapping High Street in London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Execution Dock House
Chmee2
CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org

The Admiralty tried all kinds of crimes and criminals – it wasn’t just in charge of its British sailors but would take on any sea-based miscreant. Sailors were most often committed for execution for moderately severe crimes like murders or mutiny; pirates and smugglers didn’t stand much of a chance if they were caught red-handed. The automatic punishment for piracy was death by hanging in a public place.

The Port of London used to be the biggest in the world; it is still the second largest in the country. The location of the Thames and the river’s sea access has played a significant part in the general history of London, making it an important trading site for centuries. However, sea access also brought some negatives to the city, as it attracted smugglers, pirates and mutineers.

Those caught, tried and found guilty by the British Admiralty in London were hanged at Execution Dock in Wapping in the East End for over four centuries.

Not All Hangings Were Equal

People executed at this dock were symbolically hung over the river rather than on land; not all hangings were the same, and some were pretty brutal. If you were a pirate, you were hanged with a shorter rope than usual as an extra punishment. This meant you didn’t hang and die quickly but was slowly strangled, as the drop wasn’t long enough to break your neck. This hanging was known as The Marshal’s Dance (after the High Court Marshal who presided over executions), as the victims’ legs would often jerk in dance-like movements as they struggled for air.

The executioners were also not allowed to cut down the bodies as soon as the hanging was done. The custom was to leave the bodies on the scaffold in the noose until at least three tides had ebbed and flowed over their heads. If you had done something terrible, your body was tarred after hanging, put in chains and hung at specific points along the Thames. This often happened with pirates and was supposed to warn people of what would happen if they decided to follow a Long John Silver career!

The hanged man and the quart of ale

Hangings were very public affairs a few centuries ago. During its heyday, people saw a trip to Execution Dock to see hanging as a great day out. They would line the banks of the Thames to see notorious criminals executed; some would even charter boats to watch proceedings from a poll position on the Thames. The people about to be executed were given a challenging time before they reached the scaffold. They were taken to Execution Dock in a cart and paraded through London.

There was one bright spot in what was probably not a good day for most of these criminals. Tradition allowed the parade to stop at a tavern or inn on the way to the Execution dock to drink a last quart of ale. This may only equal a couple of pints, but it was better than nothing.

Captain Kidd and Execution Dock

The most famous person to be hanged at Execution Dock was Captain Kidd, who was sentenced for piracy and murder in 1701. His was not the smoothest execution – the rope broke when the hangman tried to hang him, and he had to wait for them to sort out another to try again. Kidd’s body was used as a deterrent to would-be pirates, and it hung at Tilbury Docks on a gibbet for three years. Captain William Kidd (c. 1645 – 23 May 1701) was a Scottish privateer who later turned pirate.

Wapping, London.
Wapping, London

He was born in Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland, and settled in New York City. He became a highly successful privateer, commissioned to protect English interests in America and the West Indies. Despite only ever capturing one significant prize ship, he has become legendary thanks to the rumour that he buried a fantastic treasure that nobody has yet found. Kidd was arrested, sent to England, and hanged in Wapping Old Stairs in 1701.

Where is Execution Dock?

Although Execution Dock is marked on historical maps as close to Gun Wharf in Wapping, people are still determining the exact location. Some people believe that it stood where Wapping Station now stands; others believe it was located on the site of Swan Wharf. If you’re taking a walk around Wapping, you can get an idea of its approximate location by visiting the Prospect of Whitby pub near the site. A noose is hanging from the back of the pub commemorating Execution Dock. The location is marked by a plaque on the pub’s riverside wall, a popular drinking spot for sailors and pirates during the 18th century.

3 thoughts on “Execution Dock: A History of Death and Disgrace on the River Thames”

  1. It is such a pleasure to read the history of our heritage. I live in North Carolina with ancestry that I’ve found going back to Yorkshire and South Hampton. I’ve been reading the novel, “London” by James Rutherfurd. When I read an historic novel I not only read it, I study it and everything mentioned in it. In doing so I came to this page and was inspired to thank Malcolm Oakley and everyone for your input.

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  2. There used to be a gibbet on the shore line at the back of the “Town of Ramsgate” pub, by Wapping Old Stairs. I was told this was the location of the old Execution Dock, not the Prospect of Whitby.

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