author
James Berry
1852–1913
Remembered for a blunt, unsettling memoir drawn from years as an official executioner in Victorian England, this writer left behind one of the era’s most unusual firsthand accounts. His work is often noted today for its stark detail and for the way it reflects a changing debate over capital punishment.
1 Audiobook
My Experiences as an Executioner
by James Berry
About the author
Born on February 8, 1852, and dying on October 21, 1913, James Berry was an English executioner rather than a literary figure in the usual sense. He served in that role from 1884 to 1891 and became known for refining the long-drop method, changes that were intended to reduce suffering.
Berry is chiefly associated with My Experiences as an Executioner, a memoir published after his years in office. The book stands out as a rare firsthand account of capital punishment in late 19th-century Britain, combining procedural detail with personal reflection.
Sources about him also note that after leaving the job, he spoke publicly against the death penalty. That later turn gives his writing an added layer of interest: it is not only a record of grim work, but also part of a wider story about conscience, punishment, and public debate in Victorian Britain.