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A History of Torture in Britain
There is an ancient and quite baseless myth that the use of torture has never been legal in Britain. This old wives' tale arose because torture had been neither endorsed nor forbidden by either statute or common law. In other words; the law has, until the late twentieth century, never had anything to say on the subject. In fact, torture, inflicted both as punishment and as an aid to interrogation, has been a constant and recurring feature of British life; from the beginning of the country's recorded history, until well into the twentieth century. Even as late as 1976, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the British Army was guilty of the systematic torture of suspected terrorists.In 'A History of Torture in Britain' Simon Webb traces the terrible story of the deliberate use of pain on prisoners in Britain and its overseas possessions. Beginning with the medieval trial by ordeal, which entailed carrying a red-hot iron bar in your bare hand for a certain distance, through to the stretching on the rack of political prisoners and the mutilation of those found guilty of sedition; the evidence clearly shows that Britain has relied heavily upon torture, both at home and abroad, for almost the whole of its history. This sweeping and authoritative account of a grisly and distasteful subject is likely to become the definitive history of the judicial infliction of pain in Britain and its Empire.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 30, 2018
A History of Torture in Britain by renowned historian and author Simon Webb is a thorough exploration of the different types of torture and their uses. Having been hired as a consultant on the subject of capital punishment for several television programmes it is safe to say he is very knowledgeable on both the death penalty, as it later became known, and methods of torture. This is a great introduction to the topic but also is informally written and accessible and requires no prior knowledge to enjoy (although this seems like the wrong word in this respect).
I found myself with goosebumps a few times and some of the descriptions were really wince-inducing as I thought of the hell those subjected to these tactics must have felt. As you may have guessed this is far from a lighthearted, easy read as it's quite graphic in places but very, very interesting. The author explores the way in which torture techniques tie in with colonisation and slavery which was the most fascinating aspect for me. Written in chronological order it gets more difficult to read as the book progresses and touches on uses of torture from our recent past. The only criticism I have is that the frequency of exclamation marks was really strange and somewhat inappropriate given the subject matter. Overall, the vivid descriptions of the horrors perpetrated by Britain both here and abroad cannot fail to provoke an emotional reaction from readers and will remain in one's mind for the foreseeable.
Many thanks to Pen & Sword History for an ARC.
I found myself with goosebumps a few times and some of the descriptions were really wince-inducing as I thought of the hell those subjected to these tactics must have felt. As you may have guessed this is far from a lighthearted, easy read as it's quite graphic in places but very, very interesting. The author explores the way in which torture techniques tie in with colonisation and slavery which was the most fascinating aspect for me. Written in chronological order it gets more difficult to read as the book progresses and touches on uses of torture from our recent past. The only criticism I have is that the frequency of exclamation marks was really strange and somewhat inappropriate given the subject matter. Overall, the vivid descriptions of the horrors perpetrated by Britain both here and abroad cannot fail to provoke an emotional reaction from readers and will remain in one's mind for the foreseeable.
Many thanks to Pen & Sword History for an ARC.
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October 21, 2018"The truth is that torture is as British as cricket or crumpets", argues a book at pains (ha!) to disabuse readers of the notion that the practice was banned by Magna Carta*. Yet in other ways it's an endearingly naive account: the opening line offers the definition "Torture is the practice of inflicting severe pain on people, either to punish them or persuade them to say or do something", apparently unaware that there have always been plenty of people for whom inflicting severe pain is its own reward. Still, there is a useful distinction to be drawn, in that back in the day, differences between English** and Continental law, the latter of which required either eyewitnesses or confession, meant there was more call for interrogatory torture there, whereas here it was generally a matter of punishment. Contrary to the default image of a mediaeval dungeon, there was only one rack in Britain – 'the Duke of Exeter's daughter' – and that only in use for about a century. And the Privy Council were obliged to witness what torture they authorised - would that the same stomach were obliged for politicians who allow 'enhanced interrogation techniques' nowadays.
The line between torture and execution is necessarily hazy in places, but while the deliberately gorier demises do belong here, I'm not so sure about the amount of space devoted to more borderline cases, in particular the execution which is torturous simply through being botched - though it is interesting that Jack Ketch became the Hoover or Biro of executioners despite seemingly being a bit of a bungler. Still, the difficulty of a firm border was partly down to the way in which even for a prescribed punishment the degree of cruelty could vary hugely, depending not only on the skill of the hangman but on luck or the mood of the crowd - who were often sated by the first cruelties, thereafter tending to sympathy with the condemned, which was very much not the desired impact. Webb is not the world's finest prose stylist – he has the amateur's telltale love of exclamation marks! – but this does work fabulously well when he describes one particularly gruesome death as being thought, even at that more bloodthirsty time, "a bit much". My other favourite quote here, incidentally, was from Pepys, on one of the regicides being hanged, drawn and quartered - "he looking as cheerful as any man could do in that situation".
(A passage which, worryingly, I encountered in two different books within 24 hours, because it turned out I was reading this during the week of the anniversary of the regicide-icide)
Still, there's all manner of interesting information and consideration here, such as the way in which many punishments which seem ridiculous could in fact be horrific and crippling - consider the scold's bridle, ducking stool, riding the horse – on top of which you have the way the indignity can compound the suffering. Or consider the detail in which Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, offered as proof of one victim's guilt the impossibility of any human mind conceiving of the name 'Pyewacket'; I found this oddly reminiscent of those numpties who insist that Lovecraft or Hubbard must have been in contact with genuine inhuman intelligences, because how else could they have thought this crazy stuff up?
Some of the grimmest sections of the book are inevitably those which cover Britain's colonies - in particular the West Indies, where some slaveowners seem to have used torture pretty much for shits (literally) and giggles. It's telling that even in a history of torture, this is the one place where the author advises readers that they may wish to skip the next bit. Elsewhere, though, he does slightly overplay his hand. It's indubitably true that Britain, like other colonisers since time immemorial, used divide-and-rule tactics in conquered territories, and towards the end of Empire in particular preferred to let the locals do the torturing for the sake of clean hands and deniability. But when this lapses into the implication that the animosity between Greek and Turkish Cypriots was solely the fault of perfidious Albion's machinations...well. Stranger still, the sections on authorised atrocities carried out well within living memory segue into a portrait of the current state of affairs, distinguished by an entire and touching faith that police brutality is now entirely extinct, and that Britain would definitely never deport anyone to anywhere they might suffer torture. Would that we could all be so confident.
*A confusion stemming from 1215 also being the year that the Pope ordered the end of clerical participation in trial by ordeal, and later fostered by Edward Coke's late-career turn against torture and consequent search for legal precedent.
**Scotland, on the other hand, was well up for a spot of torture, whether that be inventive ad hoc methods of execution, or crushing a seven-year-old's fingers to get her mother's confession. I'm 1/8th Scottish, which I reckon is just enough for me to get away with jokes about that discrepancy, but I reckon I can let you do your own punchlines.
And yes, the Stuarts being the Stuarts, of course this discrepancy bred early modern extraordinary rendition.
(Netgalley ARC)
The line between torture and execution is necessarily hazy in places, but while the deliberately gorier demises do belong here, I'm not so sure about the amount of space devoted to more borderline cases, in particular the execution which is torturous simply through being botched - though it is interesting that Jack Ketch became the Hoover or Biro of executioners despite seemingly being a bit of a bungler. Still, the difficulty of a firm border was partly down to the way in which even for a prescribed punishment the degree of cruelty could vary hugely, depending not only on the skill of the hangman but on luck or the mood of the crowd - who were often sated by the first cruelties, thereafter tending to sympathy with the condemned, which was very much not the desired impact. Webb is not the world's finest prose stylist – he has the amateur's telltale love of exclamation marks! – but this does work fabulously well when he describes one particularly gruesome death as being thought, even at that more bloodthirsty time, "a bit much". My other favourite quote here, incidentally, was from Pepys, on one of the regicides being hanged, drawn and quartered - "he looking as cheerful as any man could do in that situation".
(A passage which, worryingly, I encountered in two different books within 24 hours, because it turned out I was reading this during the week of the anniversary of the regicide-icide)
Still, there's all manner of interesting information and consideration here, such as the way in which many punishments which seem ridiculous could in fact be horrific and crippling - consider the scold's bridle, ducking stool, riding the horse – on top of which you have the way the indignity can compound the suffering. Or consider the detail in which Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, offered as proof of one victim's guilt the impossibility of any human mind conceiving of the name 'Pyewacket'; I found this oddly reminiscent of those numpties who insist that Lovecraft or Hubbard must have been in contact with genuine inhuman intelligences, because how else could they have thought this crazy stuff up?
Some of the grimmest sections of the book are inevitably those which cover Britain's colonies - in particular the West Indies, where some slaveowners seem to have used torture pretty much for shits (literally) and giggles. It's telling that even in a history of torture, this is the one place where the author advises readers that they may wish to skip the next bit. Elsewhere, though, he does slightly overplay his hand. It's indubitably true that Britain, like other colonisers since time immemorial, used divide-and-rule tactics in conquered territories, and towards the end of Empire in particular preferred to let the locals do the torturing for the sake of clean hands and deniability. But when this lapses into the implication that the animosity between Greek and Turkish Cypriots was solely the fault of perfidious Albion's machinations...well. Stranger still, the sections on authorised atrocities carried out well within living memory segue into a portrait of the current state of affairs, distinguished by an entire and touching faith that police brutality is now entirely extinct, and that Britain would definitely never deport anyone to anywhere they might suffer torture. Would that we could all be so confident.
*A confusion stemming from 1215 also being the year that the Pope ordered the end of clerical participation in trial by ordeal, and later fostered by Edward Coke's late-career turn against torture and consequent search for legal precedent.
**Scotland, on the other hand, was well up for a spot of torture, whether that be inventive ad hoc methods of execution, or crushing a seven-year-old's fingers to get her mother's confession. I'm 1/8th Scottish, which I reckon is just enough for me to get away with jokes about that discrepancy, but I reckon I can let you do your own punchlines.
And yes, the Stuarts being the Stuarts, of course this discrepancy bred early modern extraordinary rendition.
(Netgalley ARC)
November 11, 2019
“Torture is as British as cricket or crumpets” argues Simon Webb in a A History of Torture in Britain. So begins his tour of the history of torture as sanctioned by the British State. Along the way, Webb dispels the myth of torture carried out only in dark cells; it also took place in public and often in front of large crowds. Moreover, although most torture was carried out as punishment rather than information gathering, the latter purpose continued well into the 20th Century. And with that, Webb wades into a world of hot irons, thumbscrews, mutilations, branding, dunking, pressing, and pinching, among other often creative methods, often accompanied by graphic accounts drawn from primary sources.
Webb starts in Medieval and Tudor England, as perhaps you might expect. The Anglo-Saxons began the ‘Ordeal’ to coerce confessions and that carried through the Norman period. Henry VIII indulged, of course, and his daughter Elizabeth – religious revolution will do that. Torture in Scotland gets its own chapter, beginning in 1437 with the savage demise of James I’s assassins. Scots authorities continued to demonstrate great creativity and inhumanity, real eye-for-an-eye stuff. Suspected witches famously got short shrift in the 17th Century, along with heretics, and the usual criminal types, but torture declined as a legal instrument. Webb visits the colonies, and the abysmal treatment of slaves, and the Empire where race also played a discriminatory role. He also delves into the role of torture in executions through the centuries. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, lower intensity tortures like the pillory were common but they could still result in ‘accidental’ fatalities. Whipping was also used in civilian and military contexts, which continued as a legal punishment until 1962! Police officers in the 20th Century also used nod-and-a-wink violence to gain confessions. Webb concludes by stepping into the controversial arena of Northern Ireland during the Troubles, leaving Britain’s reputation in tatters. However, since the 1970s, and to its credit, Britain has been scrupulous in its conduct.
A History of Torture in Britain is an illuminating survey of a gruesome subject. It is a story with no winners and a reminder that despite all our complaints we live in more enlightened times, at least in Britain. Although his touch is at times a bit too light, Webb does a very good job with a difficult topic.
Webb starts in Medieval and Tudor England, as perhaps you might expect. The Anglo-Saxons began the ‘Ordeal’ to coerce confessions and that carried through the Norman period. Henry VIII indulged, of course, and his daughter Elizabeth – religious revolution will do that. Torture in Scotland gets its own chapter, beginning in 1437 with the savage demise of James I’s assassins. Scots authorities continued to demonstrate great creativity and inhumanity, real eye-for-an-eye stuff. Suspected witches famously got short shrift in the 17th Century, along with heretics, and the usual criminal types, but torture declined as a legal instrument. Webb visits the colonies, and the abysmal treatment of slaves, and the Empire where race also played a discriminatory role. He also delves into the role of torture in executions through the centuries. In the 18th and 19th Centuries, lower intensity tortures like the pillory were common but they could still result in ‘accidental’ fatalities. Whipping was also used in civilian and military contexts, which continued as a legal punishment until 1962! Police officers in the 20th Century also used nod-and-a-wink violence to gain confessions. Webb concludes by stepping into the controversial arena of Northern Ireland during the Troubles, leaving Britain’s reputation in tatters. However, since the 1970s, and to its credit, Britain has been scrupulous in its conduct.
A History of Torture in Britain is an illuminating survey of a gruesome subject. It is a story with no winners and a reminder that despite all our complaints we live in more enlightened times, at least in Britain. Although his touch is at times a bit too light, Webb does a very good job with a difficult topic.
November 5, 2018
Thanks to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.
Anyone who has taught History knows that nothing excites young learners quite as much as descriptions of medieval torture, this book certainly provides that in spades. This book follows a largely chronological account of the history of torture in Britain, up to and including the recent past. It covers the differences between torture methods utilised in Scotland and England, and torture suffered by those in more far flung parts of the British empire such as India and Kenya. It is perhaps easier for readers to feel less outraged by the distant past than the more contemporary accounts of torture and I certainly found the book more difficult to read as I progressed through it.
The author provides detailed accounts of a variety of different torture methods, and the vivid descriptions made me wince more than once. The accounts of torture suffered by slaves in the West Indies makes for particularly grim reading. The book is written in a chatty, accessible style which might not appeal to more academic readers, but I enjoyed it for the most part. I’ve noticed a trend in recent years for non-fiction historical books to adopt a more casual style. Whether or not that is a good thing is an argument for another day, but it certainly makes for an easier read for most and would appeal more to the casual reader. My only real critique of the writing style would be the author’s almost criminal overuse of exclamation marks. This was distracting and sometimes seemed inappropriate in the context given.
The first half of the book is stronger, it begins to lose it a little towards the end where the author begins to wax lyrical about modern torture and the slightly naïve suggestion that torture is a thing of the past, if only that were true.
Overall this was an interesting and engaging read. It provides vivid descriptions of a variety of different torture methods used past and present throughout the British Isles and doesn’t fail to confront the very real horrors perpetuated by the British Empire throughout history.
Anyone who has taught History knows that nothing excites young learners quite as much as descriptions of medieval torture, this book certainly provides that in spades. This book follows a largely chronological account of the history of torture in Britain, up to and including the recent past. It covers the differences between torture methods utilised in Scotland and England, and torture suffered by those in more far flung parts of the British empire such as India and Kenya. It is perhaps easier for readers to feel less outraged by the distant past than the more contemporary accounts of torture and I certainly found the book more difficult to read as I progressed through it.
The author provides detailed accounts of a variety of different torture methods, and the vivid descriptions made me wince more than once. The accounts of torture suffered by slaves in the West Indies makes for particularly grim reading. The book is written in a chatty, accessible style which might not appeal to more academic readers, but I enjoyed it for the most part. I’ve noticed a trend in recent years for non-fiction historical books to adopt a more casual style. Whether or not that is a good thing is an argument for another day, but it certainly makes for an easier read for most and would appeal more to the casual reader. My only real critique of the writing style would be the author’s almost criminal overuse of exclamation marks. This was distracting and sometimes seemed inappropriate in the context given.
The first half of the book is stronger, it begins to lose it a little towards the end where the author begins to wax lyrical about modern torture and the slightly naïve suggestion that torture is a thing of the past, if only that were true.
Overall this was an interesting and engaging read. It provides vivid descriptions of a variety of different torture methods used past and present throughout the British Isles and doesn’t fail to confront the very real horrors perpetuated by the British Empire throughout history.
April 25, 2023
3.75/5 not a must read but if the topic interests you then I'd say give the book a go.
Covers the history of torture for information and as punishment from the medieval times to the 1970s/80s in regards to Northern Ireland. A short book at 140 pages but with a lot information anyway as well as plenty of examples. Well written. There are 2 chapters on torture within the British Empire, one focusing on the Caribbean in the 18th century and the torture of slaves. The other focusing on more recent colonies like Kenya during the 1950s with the Mau-Mau, India and also Cyprus, but this mainly focuses on Britain using locals to perform the torture as part of a divide and rule tactic. One chapter focusing on torture within the British army and navy, but this is more about flogging and keelhauling.
Covers the history of torture for information and as punishment from the medieval times to the 1970s/80s in regards to Northern Ireland. A short book at 140 pages but with a lot information anyway as well as plenty of examples. Well written. There are 2 chapters on torture within the British Empire, one focusing on the Caribbean in the 18th century and the torture of slaves. The other focusing on more recent colonies like Kenya during the 1950s with the Mau-Mau, India and also Cyprus, but this mainly focuses on Britain using locals to perform the torture as part of a divide and rule tactic. One chapter focusing on torture within the British army and navy, but this is more about flogging and keelhauling.
October 9, 2025
This book takes you through the entire torture repertoire: hanging and drawing, burning, boiling, roasting, drowning, crushing, squashing, bone breaking, breaking tendons and joints by stretching, tearing flesh, cutting off of limbs, stoning, dragging, starving, castrating, raping, flogging, treadmill running, waterboarding, defecating in mouths, etc. Oh, and lots of variations of all of the above. It also takes us through the crimes for which people were tortured. It's horrifying and entertaining in equal amounts. How grateful I am for having been born towards the latter end of the 20th century.
December 20, 2023
An extremely comprehensive researched and presented history of one of humanities most sickening activities, and so overwhelming in its descriptions of an unbelievably consistent and continuous practice that eventually I was punch drunk (for want of a description) into an anesthetised state of eventual acceptance, and without by the end feeling the horror I had initially encountered. A quite exceptional history which flows with pace and knowledge, and in the later chapters with incisive opinion.
November 10, 2019
Interesting but a bit repetitive at times and there were a lot of grammatical errors which were rather annoying.
September 16, 2023
I found most of this boomtown interesting.However I was not particularly interested in his allegations of Torture In Northern Ireland.
December 7, 2023
‘Torture is the practice of inflicting severe pain on people, either to punish them or persuade them to say or do something.’
This was quite a disturbing read! The way the system worked, the beliefs, the rules and laws that were to be followed were absolute madness.
In particular chapter 4 and chapter 8 will be upsetting for a lot of readers. I found it very upsetting and gut-wrenching.
The types of torture used was just awful! Imagine some of your choices between, Little Ease, The Rack, Breaking On The Wheel, Gibbetting alive and the Ducking stool? Some don’t sound that bad do they? …. WRONG!
Chapter 2 was very interesting as it was to do with torture in Scotland (where I live).
‘Crushing fingers has been a common way of getting people to talk in Scotland since at least the early fifteenth century.’
A must read for any true crime reader, also for readers who can handle reading a lot of disturbing statements.
This was quite a disturbing read! The way the system worked, the beliefs, the rules and laws that were to be followed were absolute madness.
In particular chapter 4 and chapter 8 will be upsetting for a lot of readers. I found it very upsetting and gut-wrenching.
The types of torture used was just awful! Imagine some of your choices between, Little Ease, The Rack, Breaking On The Wheel, Gibbetting alive and the Ducking stool? Some don’t sound that bad do they? …. WRONG!
Chapter 2 was very interesting as it was to do with torture in Scotland (where I live).
‘Crushing fingers has been a common way of getting people to talk in Scotland since at least the early fifteenth century.’
A must read for any true crime reader, also for readers who can handle reading a lot of disturbing statements.
October 10, 2024
Learned a lot of British especially related to how they ran their colonies. The Kenya chapter was not fun.
February 24, 2025
This book is a really interesting read as it explains how the horrific methods of torture have evolved over time. Not a pleasant read but very informative.
November 5, 2018
I really enjoyed this book and learning about the.methods of torture and their historical uses.
I feel it's such a specialised subject and this book would be suited to someone who had a lot of patience though and not someone who wants a lighter read
I feel it's such a specialised subject and this book would be suited to someone who had a lot of patience though and not someone who wants a lighter read
January 22, 2019
Thankyou to NetGalley, Pen and Sword History and the author, Simon Webb, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of A History of Torture in Britain in exchange for and honest, unbiased opinion.
From the outset, it is obvious that there was a lot of research done that went into creating this book. I thought it was very informative and highly interesting. It was horrific what some people had to endure.
Well worth a read.
From the outset, it is obvious that there was a lot of research done that went into creating this book. I thought it was very informative and highly interesting. It was horrific what some people had to endure.
Well worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews