author
James Berry
1852–1913
A Victorian English executioner, he left behind one of the most unusual firsthand memoirs of the era. His writing offers a direct, unsettling look at capital punishment and the methods used in late 19th-century Britain.
1 Audiobook
My Experiences as an Executioner
by James Berry
About the author
Born in Heckmondwike, Yorkshire, on February 8, 1852, James Berry became one of the best-known English executioners of the Victorian period. He served officially from 1884 to 1891 and was noted for refining the "long drop" method of hanging, aiming to make executions quicker and more consistent.
Berry is remembered today largely because he wrote about his work. His memoir, My Experiences as an Executioner, gives a rare firsthand account of a role that was usually kept out of public view, and it remains an unusual historical document for readers interested in crime, punishment, and Victorian society.
He died on October 21, 1913. No suitable verified portrait image was found from the sources checked, so a profile image is not included here.