Capital Punishment and the Criminal Corpse in Scotland, 1740-1834

Capital punishment has a long and bloody history in Scotland. The first recorded execution took place in the 12th century, and the last public execution was carried out in 1960. During the period from 1740 to 1834, over 1,000 people were executed in Scotland, the vast majority of them for crimes such as murder, theft, and robbery.

Capital Punishment and the Criminal Corpse in Scotland, 1740–1834 (Palgrave Historical Studies in the Criminal Corpse and its Afterlife)

by Thomas Norman DeWolf

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Language	:	English
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The death penalty was a central part of the Scottish criminal justice system during this period. It was seen as a necessary deterrent to crime, and it was used to maintain social order. The execution of criminals was a public spectacle, and it was often used to make an example of those who had broken the law.

The body of the executed criminal was often used as a tool of deterrence. The bodies of criminals were sometimes displayed in public places, such as on the city walls or at the gates of the prison. This was done to remind people of the consequences of crime, and to deter them from committing crimes themselves.

The criminal corpse was also used for medical and scientific research. In the 18th and 19th centuries, there was a growing interest in the human body, and the bodies of executed criminals were often used for anatomical dissection. This research helped to advance medical knowledge, and it also helped to dispel some of the myths and superstitions that surrounded the human body.

The treatment of the criminal corpse in Scotland underwent a gradual transformation during the period from 1740 to 1834. In the early part of this period, the body of the executed criminal was seen as a object of terror. It was displayed in public places, and it was used to deter people from committing crimes.

However, over time, the treatment of the criminal corpse began to change. The bodies of criminals were no longer displayed in public places, and they were increasingly used for medical and scientific research. This change in attitude was due to a number of factors, including the growing influence of Enlightenment ideas, the development of new medical technologies, and the rise of a more humane penal system.

The abolition of capital punishment in Scotland in 1960 marked the end of a long and bloody chapter in Scottish history. The death penalty is no longer used in Scotland, and the criminal corpse is no longer used as a tool of deterrence or social control.

However, the history of capital punishment and the criminal corpse in Scotland is a reminder of the dark side of human nature. It is a reminder of the lengths to which people will go to control and punish those who break the law.

References

1. Blakemore, Erin. The Body of the Executed Criminal in Enlightenment Scotland. Oxford University Press, 2013.
2. Dodds, William. The History of Capital Punishment in Scotland. Hodge, 1843.
3. Fry, Michael. The Scottish Executioner: The Office, the Men and the Methods. Birlinn, 2010.
4. Gatrell, V. A. C. The Hanging Tree: Execution and the English People, 1770-1868. Oxford University Press, 1994.
5. Ramsay, George. An Essay on the Treatment of the Criminal in Scotland. T. Clark, 1831.

Capital Punishment and the Criminal Corpse in Scotland, 1740–1834 (Palgrave Historical Studies in the Criminal Corpse and its Afterlife)

by Thomas Norman DeWolf

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1523 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	280 pages
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE