- Jack Ketch
John (Jack) Ketch (died 1686) was an English
executioner employed by King Charles II. An immigrant of Irish extraction, he became famous through the way he performed his duties during the tumults of the 1680s, when he was often mentioned inbroadsheet accounts that circulated throughout theKingdom of England . He is thought to have been appointed in 1663. He executed the death sentences againstWilliam Russell, Lord Russell inLincoln's Inn Fields onJuly 21 ,1683 andJames Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth onJuly 15 1685 after theMonmouth Rebellion . He was either very awkward or sadistic with his beheading technique, and his victims were known to have suffered at their deaths.Ketch's execution of Lord Russell on
July 21 1683 was performed clumsily, and a pamphlet is extant which contains his "Apologie", in which he alleges that the prisoner did not "dispose himself as was most suitable" and that he was interrupted while taking aim. On the scaffold (seegallows ) onJuly 15 1685 , the Duke of Monmouth, addressing Ketch, referred to his treatment of Lord Russell, the result being that Ketch was quite unmanned. He had to deal at least five strokes with his axe and finally use a knife to sever Monmouth's head from his shoulders. In 1686, Ketch was deposed and imprisoned atBridewell . His successor,Paskah Rose , abutcher , was hanged at Tyburn after four months in his office. Ketch was reappointed in his place. He died towards the close of 1686.As a result, the term Jack Ketch is also used:
*as aproverbial name fordeath or, sometimes,Satan ;
*as a euphemism for thegallows ;
*as the name of the hangman in the traditional version ofPunch and Judy .The
knot more commonly known as ahangman's knot is also sometimes known as Jack Ketch's knot.As a figure of death in folklore "Jack Ketch" is also known as "Hanging Jack" and "Mister Graball".
In popular culture
*"The Night Before Larry Was Stretched", an Irish street song presumed to be from the eighteenth century, refers to the protagonist's hangman as Jack Ketch.
*"Parasite Planet ", a 1935 science fiction story byStanley G. Weinbaum , features a Venusian plant called a Jack Ketch tree that strangles its prey using nooselike loops at the ends of its branches.
*Several novels of Neal Asher's Polity series feature anAI -controlled military spaceship that has named itself Jack Ketch and has a fascination for historical methods of execution: "Line of Polity" (2003), " [Brass Man] " (2005), "Polity Agent" (2006.
*"The System of the World", byNeal Stephenson uses the name Jack Ketch as a nickname for whichever executioner is currently serving at Tyburn Cross (although the scene takes place in 1714, 28 years after the death of the original Ketch).
*In the Vertigo comic book series "Fables", Jack Ketch is Fabletown's executioner. Later, a military campaign waged against the Empire to regain their homelands is named Jack Ketch, signaling the startegy of destroying the links between the Emperor's world and all other fable lands.
*In the Alan Moore's comic book series "Miracleman ", Jack Ketch is an executioner themed superhero that appears in a dream sequence.
*In the videogame "", the large, axe wielding foes use an attack called "Jack Ketch is a Killer."
*Themanga "Leviathan", volume 4, features a storyline where a villain uses a book to possess civilians with the spirits of historical killers. The protagonist trumps the villain by using the book to possess a comrade with the spirit of Jack Ketch.
*The human host for the Marvel Comics anti-heroGhost Rider in the 1990s was known as Danny Ketch. Howard Mackie originally wanted to name the host "Jack Ketch" but instead opted to name the Danny's best friend as "Jack" and went with "Danny" for the host.
*A band named "Jack Ketch & the Crowmen" released a 1988 record onBilly Childish 's labelHangman Records .
* In both the animated and videogame versions ofGregory Horror Show the character Nekozombie wears a T-Shirt with 'Jack Ketch' emblazoned on the front.
* InPhilip Larkin 's "Livings", the line "Why isJudas like Jack Ketch" is one of the topics of the trivial topics of conversation in the third vignette.
* InOur Country's Good byTimberlake Wertenbaker the executioner is called "Ketch".
*Indie-rock band "I.M. Legend" released their second CD entitled "Godspeed Jack Ketch" on Burnt Carbon Records.
*Metal/deathmetal/grind band named "Jack Ketch" based in sacramento Cailfornia [http://www.myspace.com/jackketchkills]References
*1911
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.