Michael Barrett - England’s last public hanging.
Michael Barrett - England’s last public hanging. 27 year old Michael Barrett was a Fenian from Co. Fermanagh, Ireland and was convicted of blowing up the wall of Clerkenwell House of Detention on the 13th of December 1867 in an attempt to free Richard O'Sullivan Burke, an Irish Republican Brotherhood member. This was unsuccessful but the explosion caused by detonating a barrel of gunpowder killed at least six people and injured many more. The deceased victims were Sarah Ann Hodgkinson, age 36, 47 year old William Clutton, 7 year old Minnie Abbott, Martha Thompson age 10, Martha Evans, age 67 and Humphrey Evans age 66. This was one of the first Irish bombings on English soil. Six people were arrested but Barrett was the only one to be found guilty at his trial at the Old Bailey, that ended after seven days on the 27th of April 1868 before the Lord Chief Justice. Barrett was tried on a specimen charge of murdering Sarah Ann Hodgkinson who lived a 4 Corporation Row off Corpora...