School: Coillín Aodha (B.)

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1. Fenton the Hangman

   

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   Fenton the Hangman

   In 1842 the bridge in Easkey, Co. Sligo was swept away by a terrible flood. The bridge was a narrow one - so narrow that two vehicles could not meet on it. In each parapet was a stone with a circular hole to hold an upright post. Here it was that the local Landlord Fenton used erect his gallows and execute several of his poor tenants. Two uprights were placed in the stones on the parapet. The cross-beam and rope were attached and the unfortunate victim was drawn to the scene of execution on a cart. He stood on the cart while the hangman tied the noose around his neck. This done the driver of the cart drove away and the victim was left to struggle in view of the public. The hangman's name was Marley - a native of Skreen Co Sligo. He himself had been sentenced to death for some grievous crime - the particulars of which were never made known to the public. On his agreeing to act as hangman for Fenton he was released. Later in life it was discovered that he had been co-habiting with his sister and a baby was born. As a punishment for his crime he was sentenced to be hanged and it was his sister who carried out the execution in the old Sligo jail, the site of which is now occupied by the Courthouse. For hanging the brother this woman was paid £5. Marley knew the amount she was to receive and as he stood on the gallows he said "Take the £5 for it's the last chance you'll get of getting anything out of me"
   James Gordon whose name often occurs in these pages states that his uncles saw the skulls on the spikes over the gate of the old jail. In the flood of 1842 one of the stones was swept away

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   James Gordon

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   78

   Occupation

   Shopkeeper

   Address

   Ballyogan, Co. Sligo