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JEREMIAH BRANDRETH, Alias John coke, alias the Nottingham captain, WILLIAM TURNER, ISAAC LUDLAM, the elder, and a number of other were brought to trial at the County Hall, in Derby, on Thursday the 16th October 1817. It appeared on evidence that a number of persons, from one to five hundred, assembled in the Parish of Southwingfield, in the county of Derby, and with guns, pistols, swords, clubs, pikes, bludgeons and other offensive weapons, maliciously and traitorously did levy and make war against our Lord the King, and his laws; and after their trials, which lasted several days, were found GUILTY of HIGH TREASON, and the following sentence passed on them That you and each of you be taken to the jail from which you have been brought, and thence drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution, where you shall be severally hanged by the neck till you be dead, and afterwards your heads be severed from your bodies, and your bodies be divided into four quarters, and placed at his Majesty’ disposal; and may the Lord God of all mercy have compassion upon you. ================== JEREMIAH BRANDRETH, aged 27, Framework Knitter, was born in Exeter; he has left a wife and two children, who now reside at Sutton-in-Ashfield, in the County of Nottingham. A short time before his execution Brandreth’s wife visited him in prison, and asked him some particulars as to his hooting Mrs. Hepworth’s man, but he declined giving her any information on the subject: and being asked the reason why he had not been shaved during his imprisonment, she replied, “It was not to disguise himself, but that it appeared to him more natural in that state.” He was not much affected at seeing her, and she was less distressed than might have been expected. When Brandreth was asked by the Clerk of Arraigns, what he had to say, why sentence to die should not be passed upon him, according to law, he replied, “I would ask for mercy, if it were possible, that mercy could be extended towards me, and would address you in the words of out Saviour If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not of my will, but the will of the Lord be done.” WILLIAM TURNER, aged 46, Stone Mason, was a tall man, and had been a soldier, was born at Southwingfield, in this county, and a single man. Several persons gave Turner a good character, who said they had known him for many years, and always considered him a loyal and humane man till this happened. On Wednesday Turner took a final leave of his brothers and relations. He was at once visited by eleven persons, who left him calm but were themselves in the greatest possible affliction. ISAAC LUDLAM, aged 52, Stone Mason, was born at Southwingfield, in this county, has left a wife and seven children to lament his untimely end. A short time before his execution he wrote an affectionate letter to his wife, in which he recommends her to live in the fear of God, and to bring up their children in the ways of religion, which will always prove ways of pleasantness, and the end will be everlasting life It having been asserted in some of the public papers that he was a dissenting Teacher, and in others that he was a Methodist Preacher; we have good authority for stating that he never was a Methodist Preacher, nor did he ever hold any office in that body. One Tuesday Isaac Ludlam received a visit from his wife and daughter. Mrs Ludlam is a very respectable looking woman. Her distress on account of the situation of her husband was great in the extreme. His doom seemed death to her. Words cannot adequately describe the mournfully affecting interview. The parting moments when the husband and father gazed on the wife and child for the last time was terrible. Burning tears mingled with fond embraces, were often repeated, and the mother and the daughter left the prison in all the horrors of despair. ================= Since condemnation they have been regularly attended by the Rev. J. Pickering, Chaplain of the Gaol, and have for the last few days conducted themselves in a manner becoming their awful situation. This was the first execution for “a levying of war against the King,” that ever took place in Derby. We trust in God that it will also be the last. On the morning of execution the prisoners partook of the Lord’s Supper, and joined the Chaplain in fervent prayer and we hope that their prayers were heard. About twelve o’clock the unhappy sufferers were brought out in front of the County Gaol, and after a short time spent in prayer, were launched into eternity, in the presence of a vast concourse of spectators, and after hanging the usual time, their bodies were taken down and their heads cut off and held up for public view, while the executioner exclaimed, “Behold the Head of the Traitor.” The untimely end of these unhappy men is an awful warning of the sad effects of walking in the way of transgressors, and of the bitter consequences of neglecting serious religion. Ludlam once in his life for a short time was connected with a religious body, but fell from his profession. Brandreth nine years ago had some religious impressions, though he unhappily suffered them to die away; but he never connected himself with any body of professing Christians. Had they in sincerity followed religion, they would have they would have found among either the serious dissenters or the Methodists, those who would have been their helpers in the way to heaven, and they might now have been loyal subjects and useful and respected Christians This document was originally printed at the time of the executions in 1817, and was transcribed & edited by Helen Wilson (2001) |
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