The Fateful Failed Hanging of Anne Greene

Hanging is one of the oldest forms of execution (Nichols, 2019), it has been employed by the victors on the battlefield, by justice officials and sadly by those wanting to end their own lives. The earliest account of hanging as a means of capital punishment can be found in the 22nd book of Homer’s Odessey (Rayes, Mittal, Rengachary, & Mittal, 2011). In Britian hanging has been used in since the 5th century when the Germanic Anglo-Saxon tribes introduced it. Conversation would begin in the 18th century in regard to abolishing the hanging for ‘more proportionate punishments’ for crimes, however it would be over 300 years after Anne was hung that Britian would abolish the death penalty and with it the gallows.

Hanging up until the 19th century was an ineffective, slow and imprecise procedure of strangulation under one’s own weight (Rayes et al., 2011). Methods in judicial hangings did improve and this resulted in rapid compression of the neck and the fracturing of the upper cervical spine vertebra, which ensured that one did not suffer and linger. Despite this, hanging is plagued by unfortunate and at times horrific incidents and some survivals.

It has been 375 years since the following events took place yet we are still intrigued with what happened, and how it happened. The story is thrilling yet macabre. It was a cold December day in 1650, when a 22-year-old scullery maid named Anne Greene was hung in the yards of Oxford Castle. When she was taken down and cut loose from the hangman’s noose, she showed no signs of life. During her proceeding trial, every attempt was employed to save her life, from expert testimony, witness testimony and even an officiant expressing that there were extenuating circumstances, and that her family did not take good care of her. Once swinging from the gallows, every last attempt was made to hasten her death. The event became so riotous that the executioner feared for the structural integrity of the gallows and called everyone away. Finally, after half an hour, Anne was brought down from the gallows and prepared in a simple coffin.

When Anne’s body arrived at the anatomists, they found that she was still alive and with haste they turned their attention from dissectionto resuscitating her. Many a tested and novel intervention was used to revive Anne. Her initial recovery and stability of her condition was quite rapid, but it would take a month for her to fully recover. Anne became a cause célèbre, not for the crime of which she was accused, but for the fact that she miraculously survived the hangman’s noose. What now we would identify as a revival was, at the time, believed to be a resurrection, with Anne's survival testimony to her innocence. If only she could know the turning point that occurred in the history of medicine on the day she was miraculously transformed from death to life.

There is a vast quantity of published works and grey literature pertaining to the story of Anne Greene. Undertaking a historical work such as this requires an awareness of the authenticity, relevance and accuracy of sources. Some sources significantly glorified Annes story, with exaggerations permeating throughout the narrative. Consistency cannot be overrated when following a historical timeline.

An extensive systematic online search was undertaken utilising the following databases.

PubMed and Medline

A hierarchy of evidence was established, firstly reproductions of original sources, secondly manuscripts and published works, and finally online sources were accessed and assessed.

Anne Greene (Green) was born c. 1628 in Oxfordshire England. Little is known about her early life, until Anne was in the employment of Sir Thomas Reid who was a Justice of the Peace in nearby Duns Tew (Rivera, Strauss, van Zundert, & Mortier, 2005). When she was 22 years of age and working as a scullery maid, it is alleged that Anne was seduced by Geoffrey Read (Tatu, Moulin, & Monnier, 2005), who was the son of Sir Thomas and only 16 or 17 years of age at the time (Hughes, 1982; Watkins, 1651). It is unclear if it was rape or seduction, but later Anne would state in a petition that she was led ‘into the foul and fearful sin of fornication’ (Hunting, 2022).

Anne, who claimed to be unaware that she was pregnant, miscarried a male child of potentially 17-18 weeks’ gestation while in the privy (Gowing, 2003, 2004; Rivera et al., 2005). The reports at the time note that the infant was only 23cm in length and was not well formed (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009). This was consistent with a foetus of less than 20 weeks, and not viable, with Anne noting that ‘it was so small and still and with a mouth as blue as water’ (Taylor, 2019). Despite her best efforts to hide the miscarriage and conceal the foetus by burying it near a cesspit (Hughes, 1982), Anne was discovered when a fellow servant heard her moans from the privy, and ran immediately to Sir Thomas to inform him (Tatu et al., 2005).

In defence of the family’s reputation, Sir Thomas and the family quickly closed ranks to avoid a scandal and to isolate Anne (Tatu et al., 2005). Key evidence that Anne planned to provide for the child including small garments and a blanket in her possession was ignored (Taylor, 2019). A midwife spoke in Anne’s defence and attested that she did not believe the infant had ever had life (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009) Anne never wavered and maintained that the baby fell from her and never took a breath. Several servants testified that Anne had experienced bleeding a month earlier when sieving malt (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009). None of this would make a difference. Sir Thomas was reportedly cruel and unforgiving, and rather than accept Anne’s version of events, he had Anne arrested under the ‘Concealment of Birth of Bastards’ Act of 1624. This Act presumed if a woman concealed the death of an illegitimate child, she had murdered the child (Loughnan, 2012). Anne was accused of infanticide, and tried by her own employer Sir Thomas (Gowing, 2003). In a further taunt, the works of Taylor (2019) presented that Anne’s child had hands too small to make a fist, and subsequently would not be able to knock on heaven’s door to ask for entry. Anne spent weeks in the jail at Oxford before being tried. Despite testimony supporting her case, Anne was found guilty of infanticide (Taylor, 2019), on what can only be described as a misjustice and complete disregard for the evidence.

On the cold day of December 14, 1650, at Oxford Castle, Anne approached the scaffold in little more than her shift and petticoat, having bequeathed her clothes to her mother (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009; Watkins, 1651). Still claiming her innocence, she was hung for her crime (Doyle, 2001; Zimmer, 2004). It was a public hanging in the cattle yard of Oxford Castle (Choudhari, Sharma, & Leyon, 2008; Molnár, 2004). Anne climbed the ladder to the gallows and the rope was laid around her neck (Choudhari et al., 2008) before the executioner Jack Ketch pushed away the ladder as she continued to protest her innocence (Dewhurst, 1962).

It is important to note that during this time execution by hanging was often an imprecise, gruesome spectacle to watch, and generally a messy business. It was not until the 19th century that the ‘long drop’ method of hanging (involving the severing of the cerebral vertebrae) became common use. In the 17th century once the noose was in place, one was pushed off the rungs of a ladder, chair or step. There was no significant drop, and the individual generally spent an extended period of time dangling under the weight of their own body, slowly suffocating to death from the anterior pressure of the noose. Anne did not want to linger like this at the mercy of the noose and had pre-arranged that several of her friends help expediate her death, and they reluctantly pulled on her legs (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009; Rivera et al., 2005). When this proved ineffective, her friends resorted to lifting her up and then pulling her down with a sudden jerk. However the Executioner fearing that the rope or scaffold may break, forbade any further interventions (Choudhari et al., 2008; Rayes et al., 2011). It is also reported that a solider stuck her multiple times with the butt of his musket (Burdet, 1651).

After half an hour (the standard time that individuals were left hanging (Rayes et al., 2011)), and everyone’s best efforts, it was believed that Anne was dead.. Anne’s body was placed in a simple coffin and there was one last attempt to stomp on her chest to ensure her death (Rivera et al., 2005; Watkins, 1651; William, 1650). At the time, a charter stipulated that the body of a convicted criminal executed within 21 miles of Oxford became the property of the university anatomy department (Arráez‐Aybar, Navia‐Álvarez, Fuentes ‐Redondo, & Bueno‐López, 2015; Mitchell et al., 2011; Molnár, 2004). So dissections were legally practiced on criminal corpses (Mitchell et al., 2011). Anne’s body was therefore sent to the University of Oxford, where the principle physicians responsible for conducting the planned dissection were William Petty (Doyle, 2001) and Thomas Willis, along with a number of others assembled at the anatomy table and preparing for her dissection (Feindel, 1962; Shaw, 2006). Her dissection was to be a learning experience and Dr. Petty, who at the time was Professor of Anatomy, was due to present a lecture as the dissection took place. Little did anyone know that the events to follow would advance the understanding of cerebral and collateral blood flow in the human body.

Hanging can be defined as a form of strangulation, where there is pressure applied to the neck by a constricting means (rope, cord, linen, wire). This pressure is tightened by the gravitational weight or drop of the body that then hangs, the degree of suspension (complete or incomplete) significantly impacts on survival. The human neck is extremely vulnerable to injury secondary to the force and compression that occurs during a hanging (Kadic, Maandag, Janssen, Driessen, & Schultze Kool, 2010). The vessels of the neck are highly vulnerable to damage inflicted during hanging.

It is highly likely that Anne lost consciousness early during the hanging, due to reduced blood flow that would have resulted from the pressure of the rope on her carotid arteries (See Figure 1.). This type of pressure on the carotid arteries can result in a loss of consciousness within 15 seconds due to inadequate cerebral perfusion, with cerebral hypoxia occurring and potential death (Hsu & Tsai, 2020; Kadic et al., 2010). With her carotid arteries occluded, the only means of blood flow to Anne’s brain would have been via the vertebral arteries that are protected by their location, running through the left and right canals in the cervical vertebrae. There is considerable variability in the anatomy of the Circle of Willis and there is frequent asymmetry, with an ideal and symmetric circulation occurring in only a minority of individuals (Liebeskind, 2003). In Anne’s case, her survival was also most likely aided by anterior communicating arteries of adequate diameter, and alterations of the calibre in the peripheral vessels of the two hemispheres (Symonds, 1955).

Figure 1.

Schematic drawing of the cervical spine and cerebrovascular system, demonstrating the vulnerability of the carotid arteries to hanging, the protection that the vertebrae provide to the vertebral arteries and the collateral pathways of the Circle of Willis. Adapted from (Nichols, 2019).

As well as the compromise of the cerebrovascular system, Anne’s airway was likely to be compressed, and the pharynx and larynx are also vulnerable to damage. With the invention of the long drop (or judicial) system of hanging (where a person falls from a distance of at least their own height) there is fracturing of the vertebra in the cervical spine and resultant spinal cord injury (Maier, Malatskey, Fradis, & Krebs, 1999). In this case the drop and sudden stop by the noose results in the head hyperextending, leading to a fracture of the posterior arch of the axis, that remains attached to the cervical spine below, noting that the anterior section of the axis and the atlas remain attached to the skull (Rayes et al., 2011; Wood-Jones, 1913) (see Figure 2.). These types of cervical injuries are rare in suicidal or accidental hangings with Salim et al. (2006) finding the incidence to be as low as 5%. The major pathologic mechanism of death in hanging is neck vessel occlusion and combined upper cervical fracture, and generally not airway obstruction (Aufderheide et al., 1994; Tintinalli et al., 2016).

Figure 2.

Schematic drawing showing the fracture of the posterior arch of the axis which remain attached to the cervical spine below, whereas the anterior part of the axis and the atlas remain attached to the skull basis.

The method of hanging would remain the same in Britian until 1783 when the standard drop was implemented, with the long/judicial drop coming into use in 1818 (Rayes et al., 2011). Sadly, most cases of modern suicide by hanging mirror those of Anne’s time, where there is rarely a significant drop and there is rarely spinal damage including dislocation or fracture of the cervical vertebrae (Maier et al., 1999).

The following events that took place would become ingrained in anatomical history. When Annes’s coffin was opened at the anatomy school, noting that she had been destined for dissection, it was found that she was alive, although in a dire condition, with only a faint pulse and shallow breathing (Zargaran & Vessal, 2013). Thankfully this is where the doctors, including Petty and Willis, stepped in and took over providing various restorative interventions. The medical students also contributed by taking up a collection for her (Feindel, 1962). It was an unlikely collaboration, as Willis was a staunch Royalist and Petty had served as Cromwell’s Physician-General during the English Civil War (Sivado, 2017), but on this day they worked together. The observations at the time noted that her face was swollen and discoloured. There would have also been evidence of soft tissue damage and swelling related to the rope position as well as subcutaneous emphysema.

Anne’s execution (or failed execution) took place on a cold December day, and she was only in her shift and petticoats, having given her mother her dress. Anne was almost certainly hypothermic when she was hung (Cavalcanti et al., 2009; Hughes, 1982; Molnár, 2021). This provided a physiological protective measure that aided her survival. Another factor that could have aided in Anne’s survival were the compressions to her chest. When still hanging by the noose, she was hit in the chest multiple times with the butt of a muscat. Her chest was also reportedly stamped upon multiple times with all the force that could be mustered, with this in charity to rid her of the small reliques of her painful life (Watkins, 1651). A third set of compressions occurred when her coffin was opened in the anatomy room, and she was found to be alive.

A number of interventions were employed to revive her including poultices, smoke enemas, compression bandages to her limbs, hot bandages to her chest, pouring hot and cold spirits into her mouth and bloodletting (reportedly close to 420 mls in two stages) (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009; Feindel, 1962; Molnár, 2004; Watkins, 1651; William, 1650). While employing these techniques to resuscitate her, Petty and Willis monitored her pulse, respiration rate and autonomous functions. They noted that her pulse was low but otherwise not too much amiss or of concern (Watkins, 1651). We are now 375 years later and these observations are still carried out by front line workers, however now we recognise that in a situation like this there is a lot to be concerned about. What cannot be denied is that the expert interpretation of Anne’s responses to interventions during her revival were a key factor in her survival (Sivado, 2017).

Anne’s initial regaining of consciousness and recovery was swift, and within 12 hours she was able to say a few words; after a day she could answer when spoken to (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009). It is reported that her first words were ‘Behold God’s Providence” (Taylor, 2019).. However, it would take longer for her physical injuries from the noose to heal and her condition would fluctuate. Within a month she was fully recovered and able to eat and talk, although thankfully she remained mostly amnesic of her execution day (Hughes, 1982), remembering only a man clad in felt (likely the executioner), but she remembered nothing of the scaffold or hanging (Zargaran & Vessal, 2013) (William, 1650)

In the crowd of the anatomy hall during Anne’s resuscitation and recovery was a young Sir Christopher Wren. In 1651 Wren immortalised the hanging with a pamphlet and poem he composed (Rivera et al., 2005). Wren demonstrated his artistic nature in this work, beginning with the title ‘News from the Dead’ or a true and exact Narration of the miraculous deliverance of Anne Greene that was released by the university printer (Doyle, 2001). All in all, Anne served as the inspiration for various pamphlets and poetic celebrations (Sivado, 2017) (See Figure 3.).

Figure 3.

A modern representation of Christopher Wren’s original ‘A Wonder of Wonders’ (1651) depicting Anne’s execution.

Anne’s revival attained much celebrity. A revival after a public hanging was rare enough for it to be thought by some as a miracle. Anne’s story is one of a select few that are known of, and it is perhaps lucky that Anne was destined for the anatomy table rather than the graveside where she would have been buried alive.

Following her revival and recouperation, Petty and Willis interceded with the Governor to prevent an immediate rehanging (Dalley, 2002), and lobbied the Oxford court for a pardon. At the same time Sir Thomas, her old master, was a vociferous advocate that Anne be hanged a second time. A little irony and justice for his cruel treatment of Anne occurred with Sir Thomas dying just a few days after Anne was subsequently pardoned (Tatu et al., 2005).

Anne was eventually acquitted, as it was believed that there had been divine intervention and the hand of God had saved her, with her revival evidence of her innocence (Shaw, 2006; Valadez, 1971). Her release was met with mixed responses with some believing she was spared by the hand of God and others moved to wrath and indignation, wishing for her to be hanged again. Whichever way her story gained great interest, and she became a spectacle, believed by some as having come back from the dead.

Following her recovery Anne (keeping the very same coffin as depicted in the wood cut (figure 3) close by as a souvenir) went to stay with friends (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009). Her father, William Greene, saw an opportunity and took a small collection from the many curious visitors wanting to see Anne, with this money believed to have assisted in paying her medial and legal fees (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009). She eventually married a John Taylor and had three children (Feindel, 1962). It is reported that Anne died in childbirth around 1659 to 1665 (Breathnach & Moynihan, 2009). There is no record as to whether her coffin was used following her death. William Petty and Thomas Willis would become famous for their medical miracle. The event was widely published, and their careers and reputations benefited from Anne’s case (Shaw, 2006). The true nature and oath to ‘do no harm’ was evident on the day that Anne was saved.

There is considerable anatomical variability in the Circle of Willis and whilst we do not know for certain, the anatomical foundation of Anne’s Circle most probably aided in her survival. Despite this, her condition remained precarious. The medical feat of Anne’s revival contributed greatly to the budding reputations of Thomas Willis and William Petty. It is unknown who suggested the types of and timing of the interventions that occurred on that day in December, but what is known is that it was Petty and Willis that have gained the most in regard both their reputation at the time and their place in history. All reports and seminal sources tell a consistent story of Anne’s hanging and resuscitation. Anne also did not falter, she was unwavering when recounting the detail, first initially, at her trial, then at her execution and after regaining consciousness.

Anne’s revival and was celebrated in the following doggerel

Anne Greene was a slippery Queen In vain did the jury detect her-She cheated Jack Ketch and then the vile wretch ‘scap’d the knife of the learned dissector (Dewhurst, 1962)