Jeremiah Brandreth
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| Jeremiah Brandreth | |
 List of public hangings for Derby[1]
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| Born | 1790 Wilford |
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| Died | 7 November 1817 Derby |
| Occupation | Stocking maker |
| Children | three |
Jeremiah Brandreth (1790 – 7 November 1817) was an out of work stocking maker from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire who was hanged for treason. He was known as "The Nottingham Captain". He (and two of his conspirators, Ludlam & Turner) were the last people to be beheaded with an axe in Britain.[2]
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[edit] The plot
Jeremiah was born in Wilford in 1790[3] a village which is now part of greater Nottingham, but moved to Sutton in Ashfield where he had a wife and three children.
It is believed that Jeremiah was involved in Luddite activities in 1811.[3]
Jeremiah met Oliver the spy in May 1817 and he agreed to cooperate in a plan where he would join 50,000 men in London to storm the tower. It is widely believed that Brandreth was a victim of the then Home Secretary, Lord Sidmouth who took severe measures against Luddite rioters[4] The "revolution" began on 9th June 1817, Brandreth had held a final meeting at a pub in Pentrich where he and his fellow conspirators were to lead a march on Nottingham where "they would receive 100 guineas, bread, meat and ale." They would then lead an attack on the local barracks, overthrow the government and end "poverty for ever".
On the way to the attack Brandreth refused to pay for the 1/8d for the beer as the notes would soon be valueless.[5]
They met soldiers near the town of Eastwood in Nottinghamshire.
[edit] The Trial
Thirty five people were brought to trial and Brandreth and two others (William Turner and Isaac Ludlam]] were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, but the sentence was commuted by the Prince Regent. On the scaffold one of the men claimed that they had been set up by Lord Sidmouth and "Oliver the spy". This was investigated by Edwarrd Baines of the Leeds Mercury and sufficient evidence was found to enable publication. Brandreth was hung however and once dead, he and the other two had their heads cut off with an axe[2]. It has been said by Ivor Smallen that the crowd did not cheer as expected when Jeremiah's head was shown to the crowd as a traitor. Cavalrymen were said to be getting ready to charge.
[edit] References
- ^ Derby Gaols Hangings, 1732 to 1847 Derby Reporter April 2 1847
- ^ a b Hanging, Drawing and Quartering accessed July 2007
- ^ a b Jeremiah Brandreth at schoolnet accessed July 2007
- ^ Chambers Biographical Dictionary 1990
- ^ Depositions used to convict Brandreth PLHS accessed June 2007
[edit] External links
- Depositions used to convict Brandreth PLHS accessed June 2007
- Giles Brandreth claims to be related accessed July 2007
