Gunpowder - BBC Drama.

[p.risboy]

Whilst watching ths BBC drama, and as you can guess, it is about the Gunpowder Plot aganst James the 1st.
During this drama, and excution was performed by using heavy weights, in which the person was laid down on the back, a stone was placed under the small of the back, arms were placed to each side, and the hands restrained. A board was placed on the front of the outstretched body, and one by one, heavy iron wieghts placed upon it.
This was primarily used for a confession, but one by one the weights were added to get a confession. The person dies due to these heavy wieghts pushing down on the chest, and also putting presuure on the back, due to the stone underneath.

Some time ago, when looking at burials in my Bucks Parish regioster Cd's, I came upon a burial, where it was mentioend that he'd died of 'the 40 stone weights'.
Now I understand the meaning of this practice of torture and punishment.

I had researched this type of torture, and at that time in history it was reasonably common.....but seeing it performed in a drama was quite harrowing.
I now wonder why the person I'd found, was to die in such a way. I'll have to try and find who it was, and see what year this happened. I cannot remember which relative of mine it was, or even if it was a relative at all. Time has marched on, and I never made a note of it.

I think it was Princes Risborough, so that's where I'll start.

Are any of you watching this 3 part drama at all.

Steve.

 

[emeltee]

It never ceases to amaze me that human beings can do such horrendous things to one another. Does it take a certain type of person to dream up these awful tortures or are we all capable of doing it. Doesn't bear thinking about.

Have to say I'm not actually watching the series as historical dramas aren't really my cup of tea. After what you have just described I'm glad I gave it a miss. It's bad enough watching animals kill each other on David Attenborough's programmes without watching humans do it and calling it entertainment.

Emeltee

 

[p.risboy]

I agree MLT.

I cannot find where I'd seen the reference to the stone weight in Princes Risborough........but I made reference to it in an old thread, or post. Perhaps it wasn't Princes Risborough afterall.

Blowed if I can find it now.

Not a pleasent way to die, in any case. No wonder there was a warning.

Steve.

 

[p.risboy]

OK....found the other thread. Not quite the same, but horrendous nethertheless.

http://www.forum.familyhistory.uk.com/showthread.php?t=21283&highlight=Stone+wight

 

[Ellie7]

Read that people are complaining about how gory that was .

Ellie

 

[p.risboy]

Not that gory....once instance of the torture I mentioned, and one of a man being hung, drawn and quartered( with only the hanging seen), but not the drawing.....but the scene of what looked like intestines.

And an arm and a leg being collected and buried. I've seen far worse on TV......but it's the BBC, isn't it.

There was a warning of graphic violence.....but if people ignored the warning....they shouldn't really complain after watching it.

Quote; The Guardian.
'The initial reaction of some viewers was that the scenes of torture were disturbing, although the broadcast time was 10 minutes after the 'watershed' of 21.00. The first episode was described as 'a very good drama' by other viewers'.

I don't go out of my way to find gory programs, and sometimes the realism is a bit much for some. Any historical drama 'based on fact', I'm always interested in.
The news can be far worse than any drama shown on Tv.:'(