Tracing the history of female crime and execution from 1726 to 1955, Women and the Noose presents the cases of over fifty women who met their end on the hangman-s gallows. From the criminal act to the execution day itself, the women-s stories illustrate the range of crimes punishable by execution such as petty theft and murder, as well as reactions to the death sentence, including -pleading the belly- as a defence. Richard Clark also discusses the developments in execution methods, from burning at the stake to the short-and long-drop; and the move from the very public hangings to the more dignified private events. Clark-s frank treatment of the executions combined with sympathetic revelations about the women-s private lives makes Women and the Noose a chilling and surprisingly moving read.
