In Britain it was the rope. In France; the guillotine. But in its short history the United States of America has experimented with a bewildering array of execution methods….And continues to do so. This programme examines the history of the five principal methods: Hanging, Firing Squad, Electric Chair, Gas Chamber and Lethal Injection.

The story of the French ‘bourreau’ is perhaps the most remarkable in the history of judicial executions. Nowhere were executioners more shunned than in France. Since they were carrying out the King’s work, by divine right, they were seen as mystical figures. Holy but unclean. It was nigh impossible for them to carry out any other trade. They were often forced to live outside town and city walls. Tradesmen refused to serve them. The only prospect of marriage was to marry into another executioner’s family. There were hundreds of them, forming a vast caste of death dealers. They lived together, loved together and killed together.

This is the story of The Private Executioners…a unique history of British capital punishment, seen through the eyes of those who dispensed it. Though the hangman’s duties were grim, their experiences encompassed pathos, passion and even genuine humor. The program asks: How were hangmen selected? How were they trained? How much responsibility did they bear? Finally, did the hangmen ever believe they had executed the innocent?