Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Notes from London

William III
The Editor wishes to thank contributors who have stepped forward with posts during his spring break absence in London. This morning he was at the National Archives at Kew reading records of trial from the 1600s until a power failure plunged the building into darkness. The records tend to be very brief (2-4 pages). Most were from cases tried on the Continent, notably at Bruges and Ghent. A few included pardons signed by Charles II, William III or other senior commanders. One wonders what percentage of 17th century capital sentences were actually carried out. Plus ça change?
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1 comment:

  1. Ron MeisterMarch 16, 2016 at 10:16 AM

    One 17th Century capital sentence that was carried out involved a guy named Charles Stuart. No executive pardon there.

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