Death - James Inglis (1922 to 8th May 1951)

Have you seen the film Pierrepoint about Britain's most famous hangman Albert Pierrepoint? In one scene he performs a hanging in a record-breaking seven seconds. The prisoner was James Inglis who died aged 29 after haggling with a prostitute over money and then murdering her. Here I am outside Strangeways Prison where he dropped through the hole and breath left his body for the last time.

Inglis had battered 50-year old Alice Morgan to death at her home in Hull on 1st February 1951. To ensure she was dead he strangled her too. They’d been drinking then went back to her home for sex. At some point they quarrelled over money and Inglis beat and strangled Alice. Her corpse was discovered by the postman the following morning. He noticed the front door was open, pushed it open and saw Alice lying on her settee with a silk stocking round her neck. Her face was black, blue and dark red.

Inglis was soon arrested and admitted to punching but not strangling. At his trial he claimed insanity but the jury rejected it and he was sentenced to hang by the noose. He was transferred to Strangeways in Manchester where he remained for three weeks. Executioner Albert Pierrepoint and his assistant Syd Dernley visited the prison to perform the hanging. Inglis was smiling when they entered his cell and he even helped pinion his own arms into place. His cell was adjacent to the gallows so the walk was short (Inglis was practically running according to Syd’s memoirs.) The time from when Inglis was taken out the cell and the trapdoor opening was seven seconds. Inglis was 5’ 6” tall and the 8’ drop dislocated his second cervical vertebra.

His remains are now probably in Blackley Cemetery. He was buried in the prison cemetery but when rebuilding work was carried out in 1991 the remains of 63 executed prisoners (45 were identifiable) were exhumed and cremated at Blackley Crematorium. The ashes were re-interred there in the cemetery.

To see the scene from film go here:-

Pierrepoint about the hangman? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5gAN1P2JbM

Then...

...now