Here's some history to mull over...

[Filonian]

Sounds plausible!


There is an old Hotel/Pub in Marble A rch, London which used to have gallows adjacent. Prisoners were taken to the gallows (after a fair trial of course) to be hung. The horse drawn dray, carting the prisoner was accompanied by an armed guard, who would stop the dray outside the pub and ask the prisoner if he would like ''ONE LAST DRINK''.

If he said YES it was referred to as "ONE FOR THE ROAD."

If he declined, that prisoner was "ON THE WAGON."



Graham

[DaveB]

Hmm.. plausible I suppose though after he'd had one for the road, he'd be back on the wagon wouldn't he It's a bit like saying you don't smoke in between cigarettes

A nice story anyway

ATB

DaveB

[Tomliner]

Hi Graham.FYI there is a pub in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh called 'The Last Drop' where apparently those who were condemmed to hang on the gallows in the Grassmarket were given a final drink,therefore their last drop before their last drop.
Pity the gallows are no longer there,I'm sure we could find plenty of trade for the hangman today!ATB EricT

[Filonian]

Hi Graham.FYI there is a pub in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh called 'The Last Drop' where apparently those who were condemmed to hang on the gallows in the Grassmarket were given a final drink,therefore their last drop before their last drop.
Pity the gallows are no longer there,I'm sure we could find plenty of trade for the hangman today!ATB EricT

Duly filed away in my book of useless knowledge.

Aye, but just think what benefits the shareholders of the breweries/distillers would reap


Graham

[airboatr]

Aye, but just think what benefits the shareholders of the breweries/distillers would reap
Graham

Is that where grim reapers came from?

[AndyG]

That's apparently fundamentally true Graham, certainly it was quoted as fact Peter Ackroyd's "London - A Biography" - Mr Ackroyd is usually fairly scrupulous about this sort of thing! A good read, this book is well worth picking up; but you'll need a strong arm, as it's close to a house brick in size!

A hanging was a great public spectacle. The condemned were held in Newgate Prison (an incredibly grim place by all accounts), on the edge of the City of London; Newgate itself is gone, but it's site is now occupied by the Old Bailey. From there the prisoner, or prisoners, were taken by hurdle (a type of cart) down what is now Oxford Street - during this part of the journey they were offered their final drink, as well as being accosted by ballad and pamphlet sellers asking them to endorse their version of the prisoners "last words" (never mind they weren't actually dead yet, why let that little fact get in the way of commerce). The journey ended up at the gallows known as Tyburn Tree, which was indeed sited close to present location of Marble Arch; for many years the exact location was lost, but recent archeological investigations have revealed it more towards the Edgware Road/Bayswater Road junction. The "Tree" was of triangular construction, to allow for several hangings at once. Once dead the unfortunate criminals usually had their bodies passed to the hospitals for anatomical teaching, although a little money applied in the right places could enable relatives to reclaim the body instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyburn_Tree

[DispatchDragon]

so the Movie "Plunkett and McCleane" was reasonably accurate then?


Leif