Event of 1868: Fenian bomber Michael Barrett becomes the last person publicly hanged in the Uni
- When
- 1867–1868
- Where
- London; Old Bailey; Newgate Prison
- Episodes
- 3
Michael Barrett, an Irish activist, was executed on 26 May 1868 for his role in the Clerkenwell explosion. He was the last person publicly hanged in England before the practice was abolished by the Capital Punishment Amendment Act 1868.
Episodes
- Clerkenwell Explosion
The IRB bombed Clerkenwell Prison on 13 December 1867 to free a member, leading to arrests and trials.
- Trial at Old Bailey
Barrett was tried at the Old Bailey in April 1868, with the prosecution linking him to Fenian activities.
- Public Hanging
Barrett was publicly hanged outside Newgate Prison on 26 May 1868, the last such execution in England.
Background and detail
Background. The Clerkenwell explosion occurred on 13 December 1867, when the Irish Republican Brotherhood attempted to free a member held at Clerkenwell Prison. This attack followed the arrest of Ricard O'Sullivan Burke in November 1867, a senior Fenian arms agent involved in earlier prison escape plans.
Trial. Michael Barrett and five others were tried at the Old Bailey from 20 to 27 April 1868. The prosecution linked Burke to arms finding in Birmingham. Despite claims that Barrett was in Glasgow during the bombing, these enquiries failed to disturb the sentence.
Execution. Barrett was hanged by William Calcraft on the morning of 26 May 1868 outside Newgate Prison. A crowd of two thousand booed and sang as his body dropped. He was the last man publicly hanged in England, with the practice ending shortly after.
People involved
- Michael Barrett · Executed Fenian
- William Calcraft · Executioner
- Ricard O'Sullivan Burke · Fenian arms agent
Sources
- Michael Barrett (Fenian) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-03
- Clerkenwell explosion Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-28
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.