Southampton once bore witness to a starker form of public life - the spectacle of public execution. 

From the heights of Southampton Common to the edge of the waterfront, these grim events, intended to deter crime and assert state authority, offer a powerful lens into the social, legal, and cultural norms of past eras. 

Southampton was no exception to this practice, hosting public gallows at two key locations: the town gallows on Southampton Common and the admiralty gallows near the sea.

The primary site, the town gallows on Southampton Common, was positioned for maximum visibility. 

Records, including the 1810 Ordnance Survey map, place it near Burgess Road and the current reservoirs. 

The last public hanging was that of William Shawyer in 1785 for burglary. Notable earlier executions included John Marchant for murder (1760) and Daniel Moreto for forgery (1766), illustrating the range of capital offences in 18th-century England. 

These public displays served as potent tools for social control, visibly demonstrating the consequences of breaking the law. Today, the area is occupied by reservoirs.

Southampton also possessed an admiralty gallows near the waterfront, specifically for maritime offences.

Its location just beyond the low-tide mark underscored the Admiralty Court's jurisdiction.

John Speed's map of 1611 confirms its early 17th-century presence. This site, now within Ocean Village, saw the notable execution of Captain Jones in 1556 for piracy, under the orders of Queen Mary I and Philip of Spain. His body was even hung in chains as a stark warning. 

Executions here were often deliberately cruel, with short ropes causing slow strangulation and the incoming tide sometimes engulfing the still-living. Bodies were left hanging for extended periods as a grim deterrent.

Considering Southampton's enduring connection to the sea, the presence of the admiralty gallows near its historic waterfront speaks volumes about the importance of maritime law and order throughout the city's development. 

While Ocean Village now obscures the grim history of that location, it serves as a potent reminder of the harsh realities faced by those who transgressed the rules of the sea. 

Just as Southampton has evolved from a medieval port to a modern hub, so too has its approach to justice transformed from public spectacle to private consequence. 

These former execution sites, though no longer visible, remain embedded within the city's historical narrative

The design of gallows evolved over time, from simple posts to more elaborate structures like London's Tyburn Tree. 

In the 18th century, innovations like the Newgate Drop aimed for a quicker death. Public executions were significant social events, drawing large crowds, but by the late 18th century, concerns about their effectiveness and brutalising nature grew. 

This period was also marked by the "Bloody Code," with numerous capital offences.

The movement to abolish public executions gained momentum in the mid-19th century, with influential figures like Charles Dickens condemning them. 

The Capital Punishment Amendment Act of 1868 officially ended public executions in the UK. In Southampton, the last public hanging on the Common occurred in 1785, earlier than the national abolition.