William Duell (criminal)

William Duell was 17 years old when he was convicted of being an accessory to the rape of Sarah Griffin in Acton, London, England.[1] He was sentenced to death. On 24 November 1740, he was hanged in Tyburn, along with four others, but survived the hanging; his sentence was commuted to transportation to America, where he died at an advanced age following the revolution.[2]

William Duell
Bornc. 1723
Died1805(1805-00-00) (aged 81–82)
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Criminal statusTransported
Conviction(s)Rape
Criminal penalty

Hanging and revival

Duell's body hung for about 20 minutes before being cut down.[3] It was then brought to the Anatomy Theatre at the Worshipful Company of Barbers and Surgeons to be anatomised for medical training.

Duell was stripped and laid on the board, about to be dissected. However, one of the servants noticed that he had begun breathing slowly. Duell's breath got quicker and quicker; he was then bled, and in two hours, he was able to sit upright.[2] That night, he was taken back to prison in Newgate.[4] Duell, suffering from a fever and delirium during his trial and execution, had no recollection of the hanging.[1]

It was suggested that his bad state was what ultimately saved his life.[3] By the following day, he was back to full health.[4] Meanwhile, the public had apparently found out what happened to Duell, and there was great excitement over his case.[1][3] The authorities decided to change his sentence to penal transportation. He was exiled for life to North America. He lived the rest of his life in Boston and was reported to have died sometime in 1805.[5]

See also

References
  1. Brayley, Edward Wedlake. Londiniana: or, Reminiscences of the British Metropolis: Including Characteristic Sketches, Antiquarian, Topographical, Descriptive, and Literary", Volume 2 (Hurst, Chance, and co., 1829), pp. 33–36.
  2. "The Newgate Calendar: William Duell". pascalbonenfant.com. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  3. Chambers, William and Chambers, Robert. Chamber's Journal of Popular Literature, Science and Arts (W & R Chambers, 1866), p. 188.
  4. The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 262 (F. Jefferies, 1887), pg. 56.
  5. "Buried Alive". Snopes. Retrieved 12 November 2010.


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