Housekeeper Sarah Lloyd put to death 1799

[SEL2323]

October 3, 1799
A housekeeper helps her boyfriend commit a burglary

Live-in housekeeper Sarah Lloyd allows her boyfriend to enter her employer's home outside London so that he can burglarize the house. When the 22-year-old woman's role in the crime was revealed, she was sentenced to death. On April 23, 1800, Lloyd was executed at St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds. She told the assembled crowd, "May my example be a warning to thousands." The inscription on her tombstone in Suffolk recounts a "just but ignominious death" for falling prey to the "allurements of vice and the treacherous snares of seduction."
Despite her declaration at the gallows, the crime rate did not drop. On several occasions, pickpockets would even work the crowds as people stood and watched the public hangings. In fact, there has been no demonstrated correlation between capital punishment and crime deterrence throughout history.
While the use of capital punishment has remained, the methods of execution have changed considerably over time. In the 15th century in Great Britain, criminals were often drowned in a quagmire. By the following century, offenders were boiled alive in large cauldrons. Those who refused to admit their crimes were often crushed to death with large rocks. The United States has had a steady trend toward more humane executions over the years. But as the 20th century came to an end, the number of crimes that could result in the death penalty had grown.

[pkstracy]

Damn just for stealing things. You would have thought they murdered someone.

[cindyt]

It was a time when women could be tossed into an asylum at the whim of their father or husband, so I'm not surprised.

[TheWrath of MadelineKahn]

It was a time when women could be tossed into an asylum at the whim of their father or husband, so I'm not surprised.

Yep, and if the couple had kids and the husband didn't want to support them, they went into the asylum with the "lunatic" wife. Then he was free to get rid of that marriage and start over.

It's good to be a man, but only since the dawn of time.

[Domino]

Women could be put in asylums for menopause right through the 1960's maybe even the 70's. Of course there are a multitude of other "ailments' you could be put away for but you know the only reason a lot of that changed was because Reagan closed the state run asylums. Now if you need help but have no money....too bad.

To keep this on topic, the op is right about there be no correlation between capital punishment and the decline of crimes. I used to be all for the death penalty but the older I get the less I agree with it. Although it's hard to argue against putting a convicted child rapist to death.