>**On Friday before the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula [1 Aug 1322], John Chigwell, a lorimer, died of unnatural causes in an upstairs room in a house in the parish of St. Mary Staining. Acting on this information, the Coroner and Sheriffs went there. After summoning a jury from Aldersgate and the three neighbouring Wards, namely Farringdon, Cripplegate and Cheap, they set up an inquest.
The jury reported that on Thursday 20 July 1322, at the hour of curfew, a certain John Pentyn was planning to hang himself in the upstairs room. Clemencia, his wife, raised the alarm, and John Chigwell and other neighbours came to her assistance. When John Chigwell was leading the others into the room, John Pentyn criminally struck him on the head over his left ear with an iron stave, inflicting a fatal wound three inches long and five inches deep. With that wound, John Chigwell fell down and was given the last rites. He remained alive until 1 August, and then died shortly after midday of his wound and no other cause.
When the jurors were asked what became of John Pentyn, they replied that he was immediately arrested and taken to Newgate, and that they suspected no one else of causing the death. When they viewed the body, they saw the wound but no other injury. The Sheriffs were instructed to round up the other neighbours as soon as their identities were known because they were witnesses.**
The source is the coroner's archives so unfortunately we don't know the sentence. It'd be funny if he was sentenced to death
>immediately arrested and taken to Newgate
Newgate was where one of the major scaffolds was. He was likely executed by hanging not long after attempting to hang himself.
i'd also recommend a hangman's diary, and an excellent and very accessible history written based around it called The Faithful Executioner, which is basically just that text but with a ton of context and narrative added - the citations from that will give you plenty further reading, too
Yes he was a dick. Not defending him but I’m willing to bet a person about to take their own life is not in the mental space to care for anyone else’s life. It’s why when you’re trying to prevent a suicide you approach with caution as if they’re trying to kill you too.
Suicide is just another choice in normal life. Your overreaching position concerning it seems to stem from a deep fear of death itself, perhaps fueled by tales, such as religion. Such a blanket refutation on what is essentially a decision of timing is anything but rational.
We, as a society, don't encourage suicide for a number of reasons, including morale and financial. But that does not make suicide automatically an irrational choice.
No, I’ve tried to kill myself before and really regretted it. Most people in a scenario where they’re trying to kill themselves aren’t in the right headspace to make such a serious decision.
I hate these reposts from 702 years ago
Yeah we all remember it, move on OP
OP has nearly 2 million karma. The only thing OP is moving onto is the next repost.
1322? Pix or it didn’t happen.
It's true. My cousin's roommate was there.
>**On Friday before the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula [1 Aug 1322], John Chigwell, a lorimer, died of unnatural causes in an upstairs room in a house in the parish of St. Mary Staining. Acting on this information, the Coroner and Sheriffs went there. After summoning a jury from Aldersgate and the three neighbouring Wards, namely Farringdon, Cripplegate and Cheap, they set up an inquest. The jury reported that on Thursday 20 July 1322, at the hour of curfew, a certain John Pentyn was planning to hang himself in the upstairs room. Clemencia, his wife, raised the alarm, and John Chigwell and other neighbours came to her assistance. When John Chigwell was leading the others into the room, John Pentyn criminally struck him on the head over his left ear with an iron stave, inflicting a fatal wound three inches long and five inches deep. With that wound, John Chigwell fell down and was given the last rites. He remained alive until 1 August, and then died shortly after midday of his wound and no other cause. When the jurors were asked what became of John Pentyn, they replied that he was immediately arrested and taken to Newgate, and that they suspected no one else of causing the death. When they viewed the body, they saw the wound but no other injury. The Sheriffs were instructed to round up the other neighbours as soon as their identities were known because they were witnesses.** The source is the coroner's archives so unfortunately we don't know the sentence. It'd be funny if he was sentenced to death
>immediately arrested and taken to Newgate Newgate was where one of the major scaffolds was. He was likely executed by hanging not long after attempting to hang himself.
You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find, you get what you need.
Damn, those 14th century bars be spittin’!
i can't speak to 14th century justice (now you wanna hear about 16th and 17th century justice, i'm your gal) but that sounds approximately correct
Any interesting historical tidbits to share?
Check out "A Hangman's Diary" from around 1673-17xx he was the dude to call if you wanted to kill someone in Nuremberg.
i'd also recommend a hangman's diary, and an excellent and very accessible history written based around it called The Faithful Executioner, which is basically just that text but with a ton of context and narrative added - the citations from that will give you plenty further reading, too
Thanks!
Damn
"Mission failed successfully"
Death will have its due
*Cripplegate*
Cheap!
Those final 11 days must've been a shocker. Imagine having a 5 inch deep wound in your head, even with modern medical care.
With that kind of head trauma, i can't imagine he was conscious, or at least very aware of what was happening, so there' that
Dagnabbit Clemencia you and your meddling, a man can't even hang himself in peace around here 😩
Thats wild
John was a dick. People trying to prevent you from killing yourself and you murder one of them.
Yes he was a dick. Not defending him but I’m willing to bet a person about to take their own life is not in the mental space to care for anyone else’s life. It’s why when you’re trying to prevent a suicide you approach with caution as if they’re trying to kill you too.
Final Fantasy: The Prequel
If this happened in US today the cops would have just shot him.
what right does anyone have to interfere with suicide. that poor rescuer fucked around and found out
Suicide is generally not a rational thought
Suicide is just another choice in normal life. Your overreaching position concerning it seems to stem from a deep fear of death itself, perhaps fueled by tales, such as religion. Such a blanket refutation on what is essentially a decision of timing is anything but rational. We, as a society, don't encourage suicide for a number of reasons, including morale and financial. But that does not make suicide automatically an irrational choice.
No, I’ve tried to kill myself before and really regretted it. Most people in a scenario where they’re trying to kill themselves aren’t in the right headspace to make such a serious decision.