t manorial lords had the right of hanging, and the gallows was
to be seen almost everywhere.

Representatives of the church often possessed rights in respect to the
gallows and its victims. William the Conqueror invested the Abbot of
Battle Abbey with authority to save the life of any malefactor he might
find about to be executed, and whose life he wished to spare. In the
days of Edward I. the Abbot of Peterborough set up a gallows at
Collingham, Nottinghamshire, and hanged thereon a thief. This proceeding
came under the notice of the Bishop of Lincoln, who, with considerable
warmth of temper, declared the Abbot had usurped his rights, since he
held from the king's predecessors the liberty of the Wapentake of
Collingham and the right of executing criminals. The Abbot declared that
Henry III. had given him and his successors "Infangthefe and Utfangthefe
in all his hundreds and demesnes." After investigation it was decided
that the Abbot was in the wrong, and he was directed to take down the
gallows he had erected. One, and perhaps the chief reason of the prelate
being so particular to retain his privileges was on account of its
entitling him to the chattels of the condemned man.

Little regard was paid for human life in the reign of Edward I. In the
year 1279, not fewer than two hundred and eighty Jews were hanged for
clipping coin, a crime which has brought many to the gallows. The
following historic story shows how slight an offence led to death in
this monarch's time. In 1285, at the solicitation of Quivil, the Bishop
of Exeter, Edward I. visited Exeter to enquire into the circumstances
relating to the assassination of Walter Lichdale, a precentor of the
cathedral, who had been killed one day when returning from matins. The
murderer made his escape during the night and could not be found. The
Mayor, Alfred Dunport, who had held the office on eight occasions, and
the porter of the Southgate, were both tried and found guilty of a
neglect of duty in omitting to fasten the town gate, by which means the
murderer escaped from the hands of justice. Both men were condemned to
death, and afterwards executed. The unfortunate mayor and porter had not
anything to do with the death of the precentor, their only crime being
that of not closing the city gate at night, a truly hard fate for
neglect of duty.

A hanging reign was that of Henry VIII. It extended over thirty-seven
years, and during that period it is recorded by Stow tha