Richard Brandon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Brandon
The title page of The Confession of Richard Brandon, a 1649 pamphlet claiming to contain a confession of Richard Brandon as Charles I's executioner. The posthumous frontispiece shows Richard Brandon after the beheading of Charles I.
Born	London, England
Died	20 June 1649 London, England
Burial place	St Mary Matfelon
Nationality	English
Other names	Young Gregory
Occupation	Common executioner of London
Years active	1639–1649
Known for	Possible executioner of Charles I
Parent(s)	Gregory Brandon

Richard Brandon was London's official executioner from 1639 to 1649. He took over this job from his father, Gregory Brandon. People sometimes called him Young Gregory. Richard Brandon is often thought to be the person who executed King Charles I. However, no one knows for sure who the executioner was.

Richard Brandon's Life Story

Early Life and Family Background

Richard Brandon was born in London. We don't know the exact year he was born. His father, Gregory Brandon, was also London's official executioner. His mother's name was Alice. Gregory Brandon became the executioner in 1611. At that time, the family lived on Rosemary Lane in Whitechapel. This area is now known as Royal Mint Street.

Not much is known about Richard's early years. But there were rumors about his childhood. People said he practiced his future job by beheading stray cats and dogs. In 1611, his father, Gregory, got into trouble with the law. He was accused of causing the death of a man named Simon Morton. However, Gregory was not punished for this.

A Strange Joke and a New Title

In 1617, some members of the London College of Arms played a trick on Gregory. They pretended to give him a fancy coat of arms. This made him seem like a "gentleman." Londoners found this joke funny. They started calling Gregory an "esquire," which is a title for a gentleman. This funny title was then passed down to future executioners in London. The people who played this trick even ended up in prison for it.

Becoming the Executioner

Richard Brandon worked with his father as he got older. He took over the job of executioner around 1639. It was like a family business that he inherited. In 1641, he was sent to Newgate Prison. He was accused of having two wives at the same time. But he was cleared of this charge twice. He was still living on Rosemary Lane with his wife, Mary, at this time.

As London's official executioner, Brandon carried out several important executions. These happened during the English Civil War. He executed Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, a top advisor to King Charles I. This happened on May 12, 1641. He also executed Archbishop of Canterbury William Laud on January 10, 1645.

The Execution of King Charles I

Richard Brandon was the executioner in London in 1649. Many people believe he was the one who executed King Charles I. The King's army lost the English Civil War. This led to Charles I being captured. A special court decided that he should die. They said he had ruled like a tyrant.

The execution of Charles I happened on January 30, 1649. It took place outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall. The executioner and his helper wore disguises. They had fake wigs, beards, and masks. Because of this, no one knew for sure who they were. Some French reports even wrongly said that important leaders like Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell had executed the King themselves. The real identity of the executioner is still a mystery.

Was Richard Brandon the Executioner?

The execution of Charles I was done very skillfully. It took only one clean cut to the King's neck. This suggests the executioner was very experienced. This points to someone like Brandon. He was known to be proud of how well he used his axe. It is also reported that he received £30 around the time of the execution.

Brandon had executed other supporters of the King before and after Charles I. These included Thomas Wentworth and William Laud. He also executed Lord Capel. This shows he likely had no problem executing political prisoners. However, one letter from that time says he refused £200 to kill the King. He also kept denying that he did it, even until his death in June 1649.

Richard Brandon continued his job as London's executioner. On March 9, 1649, he executed three more important people. These were the Earl of Holland, Lord Capel, and the Duke of Hamilton. They were executed for supporting the Parliament.

Richard Brandon died on Wednesday, June 20, 1649. He was buried the next day. His burial took place at St Mary Matfelon, the parish church of Whitechapel. The church records note his burial: "1649. Buriall. June 21st. Rich. Brandon, a man out of Rosemary Lane." Someone later added a note to the record. It said: "this R. Brandon is supposed to have cut off the head of Charles I". This note was added in different handwriting. So, it might not be a reliable report that Brandon was guilty.

Pamphlets and Historians' Views

After Brandon's death, three pamphlets were published in 1649. They claimed he was the executioner of Charles I. But we don't know if these pamphlets were true. Some of them were: The Last Will and Testament of Richard Brandon, The Confession of Richard Brandon, and A Dialogue, or a Dispute between the Late Hangman and Death.

The most famous one was The Confession of Richard Brandon. It claimed to be Brandon's confession as he was dying. But historians now believe it was a fake. It didn't get much attention at the time it was published. This pamphlet claimed Brandon was paid £30. It also said he went home from the execution under the cover of night.

Some historians, like Philip Sidney and Basil Morgan, think Brandon was most likely the executioner. Morgan believes it's very probable that Richard Brandon executed the King. He thinks other ideas about who did it were just rumors spread by the King's supporters later. Sidney also agrees that there is strong evidence pointing to Brandon. He compares it to the weak rumors about other suspects.

However, other writers are not so sure. Graham Edwards says that many writers have their favorite guesses. He notes that all these guesses are well-argued. But they can also be argued against. This means the mystery of who executed King Charles I is still open.

Richard Brandon's Notoriety

The fame of Gregory Brandon and "Young Gregory" led to some interesting things. "The Gregory Tree" became a common way to refer to the gallows. This was a structure used for hangings. Their name also caused the name "Gregory" to become less popular.

The name "Gregory" even became a general nickname for executioners. This happened even before another famous executioner, Jack Ketch. In the time of King James I, and for a long time after, executioners were called "Gregory." This was after Gregory Brandon, the London executioner during that king's reign.

A ballad from 1617 says:

I had better to have lived in beggary
Than to have fallen in the hands of Gregory,

Richard and Gregory Brandon also appeared in funny writings and stories of their time. One example is a print called "Portrait of Archbishop Laud and Mr. Henry Burton."

See also

• Thomas Derrick
• Execution of Charles I § Executioner of Charles I
• List of executioners