Alexander Armstrong English (he used the pseudonym Arthur Ellis; 1864/1865 – 21 July 1938) was a
British national
The primary law governing nationality in the United Kingdom is the British Nationality Act 1981, which came into force on 1 January 1983. Regulations apply to the British Islands, which include the UK itself (England, Wales, Scotland, and North ...
who was the official
hangman of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
between 1912 and 1935. It is estimated he carried out more than 600 hangings in all of Canada's provinces and incorporated territories.
Biography
English began his role as the assistant to
John Radclive
Capital punishment in Canada dates to Canada's earliest history, including its period as first a French and then a British colony. From 1867 to the elimination of the death penalty for murder on July 26, 1976, 1,481 people had been sentenced to ...
, a 20-year veteran of Canadian hangings. The only official method of
capital punishment in Canada
Capital punishment in Canada dates to Canada's earliest history, including its period as first a French and then a British colony. From 1867 to the elimination of the death penalty for murder on July 26, 1976, 1,481 people had been sentenced to ...
since the fall of
New France
New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...
was
hanging
Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...
. In his capacity as official executioner, English adopted the surname of the famous English executioner,
John Ellis, as a pseudonym.
Career demise
English's career as Canada's professional hangman ended in ignominy following the botched execution of Tommasina Teolis, who had been convicted of hiring two hit men to kill her husband, at
Bordeaux Prison
The Bordeaux Prison (), also known as the Montreal Detention Centre, is a provincial prison in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located at 800 Gouin Boulevard, Gouin Boulevard West in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville.
The prison was built bet ...
in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
on 28 March 1935.
The
long drop method of hanging was used, where the condemned would be executed by the weight of their body snapping their neck after they fell through the gallows' trap door. However, English used a miscalculation for Teolis' weight, which resulted in her dropping too far and being decapitated. This shocking event led to a public outcry that permanently ended English's career.
Although since 1 January 1870, all executions in Canada were conducted in private, members of the public could still attend upon invitation from the prison or provincial authorities. This was ended following the beheading of Teolis.
Three years later, English died in poverty in Montreal on 21 July 1938. He was buried at the
Mount Royal Cemetery
Mount Royal Cemetery ( French: Cimetière Mont-Royal) is a terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It opened in 1852. Temple Emanu-El Cemetery, a Reform Judaism burial ground, ...
.
Legacy
The
Crime Writers of Canada {{primary sources, date=January 2015
Founded in 1982 by mystery reviewers Derrick Murdock and Doug Marshall, editor John Pierce and mystery and thriller authors Tony Aspler, Howard Engel, Tim Heald, and Larry Morse, Crime Writers of Canada (CWC) i ...
present annual literary awards, which were known as the
Arthur Ellis Awards
The Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence, formerly known as the Arthur Ellis Awards, are a group of Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the Crime Writers of Canada for the best Canadian crime and mystery writing published in the ...
from 1984 until 2020.
English's career is referenced in the novella ''The Hangman'' by Canadian crime writer (and two-time Arthur Ellis Award winner)
Louise Penny
Louise Penny (born July 1, 1958) is a Canadian author of mystery novels set in the Canadian province of Quebec centred on the work of francophone Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Penny's first career was as a radio broa ...
.
In 2009 Alexander English/Ellis featured in a documentary entitled the ''
Hangman's Graveyard
''Hangman's Graveyard'' is a Canadian documentary film which was originally broadcast in Canada on History Television on December 6, 2009. A work-in-progress screening of the film was presented at the Ontario Archaeological Society's 36th annual s ...
''. The film follows an archaeological investigation into a forgotten cemetery at Toronto's old
Don Jail
The Don Jail was a jail in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located to the east of the Don River, on Gerrard Street East in the Riverdale neighbourhood. The original building was completed in 1864 and was reopened in 2013 to serve as the administrati ...
. Two of the individuals featured in the film were executed by English/Ellis.
Canadian heavy metal band
Hangman's Graveyard (band)
''Hangman's Graveyard'' is a Canadian documentary film which was originally broadcast in Canada on History Television on December 6, 2009. A work-in-progress screening of the film was presented at the Ontario Archaeological Society's 36th annual s ...
was inspired by English/Ellis, even basing their name on the 2009 documentary.
See also
*
Capital punishment in Canada
Capital punishment in Canada dates to Canada's earliest history, including its period as first a French and then a British colony. From 1867 to the elimination of the death penalty for murder on July 26, 1976, 1,481 people had been sentenced to ...
References
;Bibliography
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:English, Alexander B.
1938 deaths
1860s births
Canadian executioners
British emigrants to Canada
Burials at Mount Royal Cemetery