Catherine Hayes (1690 – 9 May 1726), sometimes spelled Catharine Hayes, was an English woman who was

burned at the stake Death by burning is an list of execution methods, execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a puni ...

for committing

petty treason Petty treason or petit treason was an offence under the common law of England in which a person killed or otherwise violated the authority of a social superior, other than the king. In England and Wales, petty treason ceased to be a distinct offe ...

by killing her husband.

Early life and marriage

Catherine Hall was born near

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

in 1690 to poor parents. At 16 she obtained employment as a servant in the household of a

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

farmer named Hayes. The son of this household was 21-year-old John Hayes, a carpenter who soon fell in love with her. Within a year of their acquaintance, the two were married. Several years into their marriage, the couple moved to London and set up a small shop in Oxford Road,

Tyburn Tyburn was a Manorialism, manor (estate) in London, Middlesex, England, one of two which were served by the parish of Marylebone. Tyburn took its name from the Tyburn Brook, a tributary of the River Westbourne. The name Tyburn, from Teo Bourne ...

, while renting lodgings. Hayes also became a successful

pawnbroker A pawnbroker is an individual that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as Collateral (finance), collateral. A pawnbrokering business is called a pawnshop, and while many items can be pawned, pawnshops typic ...

, and his wife would bear 12 children. Catherine would later claim that her husband was abusive, kept her isolated from church, and murdered their newborn children.

Murder

Toward the end of 1725, two men named Thomas Wood and Thomas Billings (the latter the couple's biological son, adopted out) lodged with the couple. Having been promiscuous since her mid-teens, Hayes began conducting affairs with both men, and the trio soon decided to kill John Hayes. On 1 March 1726, they persuaded him to partake in a drinking contest, then killed him once he was intoxicated. The trio then dismembered Hayes' body, subsequently discarding many of his body parts in a pond at

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...

. The head was cast into the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

and was found the next day. It was displayed in the churchyard of St Margaret's, Westminster, for several days, which resulted in John Hayes being identified. On 24 March, the trunk and limbs were discovered. Catherine Hayes and Billings had meanwhile been arrested on a warrant. Wood was captured shortly afterwards and confessed. Billings then admitted his complicity, but Hayes denied all knowledge of the murder. At the trial, Hayes pleaded 'not guilty', but was convicted of

, and sentenced to be

. Wood and Billings were sentenced to be hanged, though Wood died in prison before the sentence could be carried out. The case excited much popular attention, and many noblemen and gentlemen attended the trial.

Execution

Before 9 May, the day fixed for the execution, Wood died in Newgate Prison. Hayes unsuccessfully tried to poison herself. On 9 May, she was tied to a stake at Tyburn with a halter affixed round her neck. After 1652, it was the practice in these cases to strangle the condemned woman on a low gibbet before covering her with faggots and setting the stake alight; however, the execution of Hayes was to be botched. One early report stated that "the executioner was foiled in an endeavour to strangle her by the burning of the rope, and the woman was finally killed by a piece of wood which was thrown at her head and dashed out her brains". Later it was stated that Hayes was "the last woman in England to be burnt alive for petty treason (though the burning of women's bodies after execution continued until 1790)". Billings was hanged in chains in Marylebone Fields. Ballads were written about Hayes's crime, and a correspondent of the '' London Journal'' compared the murder of John Hayes to the play '' Arden of Feversham''.

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray ( ; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his Satire, satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel ''Vanity Fair (novel), Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portra ...

based his story of '' Catherine'', which first appeared in '' Fraser's Magazine'' 1839–40, on the career of Catherine Hayes.

In popular culture

The story of John and Catherine Hayes was told in the 28 October 1953 episode of the CBS radio series '' Crime Classics'' entitled "John Hayes, His Head, and How They Were Parted." Catherine Hayes was portrayed by Betty Harford, while John Hayes was played by Alistair Duncan."John Hayes, His Head, and How They Were Parted."
– ''Crime Classics'' audio file (MP3)

References

External links