Albert Perrepoint,30/3/1905 - 10/7/1992, England's Most Efficient Hangman Poem by Paul Warren

Albert Pierrepont was dubbed the Official Executioner of England
After first being Assistant Executioner as a family job on hand
Finally being made Chief Executioner after his father retired
And this was a part time job called to service as it transpired
In those days executions were the local Sherrif's responsibility
But it was delegated to Pierrepont because of his hanging skill and ability

His day job was as a simple assistant in a grocery store so uncomplicated
And when his hangman skills were needed he was summonsed as was fated
The number of executions that he performed for the British Goverment
Was a figure of 435 men and women as across the country he was sent
After World War 2 the Allies used him to execute 200 German war criminals
Including William Joyce 'Lord Haw Haw' for treason with their activities in recall

Eventually he resigned in 1956 over a dispute on the fee for each hanging
He became an opponent of capital punishment in later years in thinking
That it was no deterrent to people murdering others as his experience
Was that most murders were committed in fits of rage without judgement
In the end attitudes to capital punishment changed in Britain anyway
With those committing murder were punished by lengthy prison stays.

© Paul Warren Poetry