Infamous Yorkie Guy Fawkes was famously captured on the 5th of November 1605, before being tortured in the Tower of London – he would not meet his grisly end until the 31st of January, 1606. To mark Bonfire Night this year, Your Local Link travelled back in time to hang around with the mysterious man who put our Guy to death…
Hello! Could you tell our readers who you are?
Good day, Sir. I’d rather not give ye my name, but I will tell ye that I work as a royal executioner.
How did you get into the job? Do you enjoy your work?
It’s been in the family for generations; it was passed down to me by my father. I do enjoy it, aye. It can be a bit of a pain in the neck, though – there are some very tight deadlines.
Are you paid well?
It depends on the client, but generally, I make a killing!
Your most famous client was Guy Fawkes. What can you remember about the day of his execution?
Well, it was very busy in Old Palace Yard, ye wouldn’t believe the amount of folk that came down to see that blighter perish. That Fawkes was scheduled to be hung, drawn, and quartered, the full works, with a sold-out crowd – my favourite…
Did the job go according to plan?
Unfortunately, Sir, it did not. So, I did the other three first, the other plotters – Thomas Wintour, Ambrose Rookwood, and Robert Keyes.
They each got the full three-course menu, ye know, hung by the neck, bits off, guts out, bits burned, guts burned, head off, chopped up – lovely stuff! I had the crowd eating out of my hand. Anyway, when they brought him, the star of the show, up to my workstation, I was a bit starstruck, to be honest pal – he was such a famous fella, Guido himself! Anyway, before I got the chance to start working on him with my tools, the crafty beggar hopped off the scaffold, snapped his neck, and saw himself off! Instant death, it was!
Were you gutted you didn’t get to finish the job?
Aye, a little, I won’t lie to thee – but I was dead-set on finishing my task. I was summoned for a hanging and quartering, so a hanging and quartering is what I did… I dragged up the lifeless blighter myself and got to work with my sharps! Cut him up nice and neatly, so I did.
Is there a Mrs. Executioner, and is she proud?
Ye can mind your own business, Sir, but I will tell thee that, back in my day, I was a bit of a ladykiller!
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