John Horwood
Encyclopedia
John Horwood was convicted of murder in Bristol
, England
, in 1821. He was the first person to be hanged at Bristol New Gaol. His skeleton was retained, and most recently was kept hanging in a cupboard at Bristol University with the noose still around its neck. He was buried alongside his father on 13 April 2011 at 1.30pm, exactly 190 years to the hour after he was hanged.
Horwood was an 18 year old miner from Hanham
and the tenth child of Thomas Horwood.
Horwood's relationship with girlfriend Eliza Balsom ended in 1820. In 1821 he saw her with a new boyfriend, and threw a stone which struck her on the temple. The stone only caused minor injury, but she was treated at the Bristol Royal Infirmary
for a depressed fracture and Dr Richard Smith decided to operate, causing a fatal abscess, and she died, four days later, on 17 February 1821.
Dr. Smith gave Horwood's name to the police. The trial took place at the Star Inn in Bedminster on 11 April 1821, and Smith testified against him. He was hanged two days later and his body was handed back to Dr. Smith for dissection. Smith also had the body skinned, tanned and used to bind the papers in the case. This document is now kept in the M Shed Museum, Bristol. It is embossed with a gallows motif. The practice of anthropodermic bibliopegy
is known to have been practiced since the 17th century, and it was common to use the murderer's skin in this manner during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Smith kept the skeleton at his home until his death, when it was passed to the Bristol Royal Infirmary
and later to Bristol University.
The funeral was arranged by Mary Halliwell, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Horwood's brother. The coffin was draped in velvet and carried on a wheeled bier
in the manner of funerals of the period of his death.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1821. He was the first person to be hanged at Bristol New Gaol. His skeleton was retained, and most recently was kept hanging in a cupboard at Bristol University with the noose still around its neck. He was buried alongside his father on 13 April 2011 at 1.30pm, exactly 190 years to the hour after he was hanged.
Horwood was an 18 year old miner from Hanham
Hanham
Hanham is a village on the eastern outskirts of Bristol, England, situated on the A431 between Bristol, Bath and Keynsham. It is in the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire. It became a civil parish on April 1, 2003....
and the tenth child of Thomas Horwood.
Horwood's relationship with girlfriend Eliza Balsom ended in 1820. In 1821 he saw her with a new boyfriend, and threw a stone which struck her on the temple. The stone only caused minor injury, but she was treated at the Bristol Royal Infirmary
Bristol Royal Infirmary
The Bristol Royal Infirmary, also known as the BRI, is a large teaching hospital situated in the centre of Bristol, England. It has links with the medical faculty of the nearby University of Bristol, and the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England, also in...
for a depressed fracture and Dr Richard Smith decided to operate, causing a fatal abscess, and she died, four days later, on 17 February 1821.
Dr. Smith gave Horwood's name to the police. The trial took place at the Star Inn in Bedminster on 11 April 1821, and Smith testified against him. He was hanged two days later and his body was handed back to Dr. Smith for dissection. Smith also had the body skinned, tanned and used to bind the papers in the case. This document is now kept in the M Shed Museum, Bristol. It is embossed with a gallows motif. The practice of anthropodermic bibliopegy
Anthropodermic bibliopegy
Anthropodermic bibliopegy is the practice of binding books in human skin. Though extremely uncommon in modern times, the technique dates back to at least the 17th century...
is known to have been practiced since the 17th century, and it was common to use the murderer's skin in this manner during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Smith kept the skeleton at his home until his death, when it was passed to the Bristol Royal Infirmary
Bristol Royal Infirmary
The Bristol Royal Infirmary, also known as the BRI, is a large teaching hospital situated in the centre of Bristol, England. It has links with the medical faculty of the nearby University of Bristol, and the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England, also in...
and later to Bristol University.
The funeral was arranged by Mary Halliwell, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Horwood's brother. The coffin was draped in velvet and carried on a wheeled bier
Bier
A bier is a stand on which a corpse, coffin or casket containing a corpse, is placed to lie in state or to be carried to the grave.In Christian burial, the bier is often placed in the centre of the nave with candles surrounding it, and remains in place during the funeral.The bier is a flat frame,...
in the manner of funerals of the period of his death.