Felicity’s execution
Felicity was a young woman of London in the late 1770s. She lived a very comfortable life. There was one small distraction for Felicity. The colonies across the Atlantic Ocean had declared their independence from England and there was a war to settle the differences between England and its colonies. Felicity had relatives across the ocean. She was also graced with a noteworthy body, she could listen well, and had a memory for words said to her.
Felicity wrote letters to her relatives detailing the British plans. Unfortunately, one such letter was intercepted by the British police. Felicity was tried as a traitor to the crown and condemned to be hanged to death as an enemy to the throne. We join her story as Felicity is marched to the gallows.
I am surrounded by men in red coats. The crowd I am led through has no sympathy for me. They are here to see me hanged. And the guards escorting me to the gallows are there not only to be sure I serve my sentence but to insure I arrive at the gallows in good enough shape to be hanged. I am defenseless against the crowd as heavy irons secure my hands behind my back.
Ahead of me stands the gallows. It is a tall structure, insuring everyone can see as the noose strangles me to death. I wear a fashionable dress in addition to the irons. Beneath the dress I feel the cool breeze caress my bare legs. The dress is the only modest they have afforded me. I am nude beneath the dress. My bare feet must be shredded by the cobblestone beneath them. A guard says to me “Don’t worry about your feet, Felicity. Once your hanged you will only have the rope around your neck to worry about!”
I hope the drizzle of my pee does not soil my dress.
I have reached the stairs of the gallows. I look at the angry crowd then turn to the guards and say “I am prepared to be hanged. I can climb the steps myself.”
It is 13 steps to the gallows’ platform. The hangman reaches out to grab my arm and with a wave of his other arm he says “This way, m’ lady.”
I am close enough to see the fibers of the rope the noose is constructed from. There will be no escape but my death itself!
Felicity was a young woman of London in the late 1770s. She lived a very comfortable life. There was one small distraction for Felicity. The colonies across the Atlantic Ocean had declared their independence from England and there was a war to settle the differences between England and its colonies. Felicity had relatives across the ocean. She was also graced with a noteworthy body, she could listen well, and had a memory for words said to her.
Felicity wrote letters to her relatives detailing the British plans. Unfortunately, one such letter was intercepted by the British police. Felicity was tried as a traitor to the crown and condemned to be hanged to death as an enemy to the throne. We join her story as Felicity is marched to the gallows.
I am surrounded by men in red coats. The crowd I am led through has no sympathy for me. They are here to see me hanged. And the guards escorting me to the gallows are there not only to be sure I serve my sentence but to insure I arrive at the gallows in good enough shape to be hanged. I am defenseless against the crowd as heavy irons secure my hands behind my back.
Ahead of me stands the gallows. It is a tall structure, insuring everyone can see as the noose strangles me to death. I wear a fashionable dress in addition to the irons. Beneath the dress I feel the cool breeze caress my bare legs. The dress is the only modest they have afforded me. I am nude beneath the dress. My bare feet must be shredded by the cobblestone beneath them. A guard says to me “Don’t worry about your feet, Felicity. Once your hanged you will only have the rope around your neck to worry about!”
I hope the drizzle of my pee does not soil my dress.
I have reached the stairs of the gallows. I look at the angry crowd then turn to the guards and say “I am prepared to be hanged. I can climb the steps myself.”
It is 13 steps to the gallows’ platform. The hangman reaches out to grab my arm and with a wave of his other arm he says “This way, m’ lady.”
I am close enough to see the fibers of the rope the noose is constructed from. There will be no escape but my death itself!
