The British Official Table of Drops

By Crusader1307

The ''Official Table of Drops'' was a Publication of The British Government in 1888. The Document was designed to apply a more ''scientific approach'' to the Method of Execution by Hanging. Prior to this year, the Act of Hanging was accomplished mostly by ''hit or miss'' measurements and weight requirements, created by non-professional (or ill trained) Executioners (Civil and Military). Often, those so Condemned, suffered by choking to death ''slowly'' (as opposed to having their necks immediately broken). The Document applied basic mathematics with regards to the Condemned weight, length of rope and ''hang'' (drop) time and distance to achieve an ''instant death''. The Document was used by both Military and Civil Authorities as a basis for Hanging Executions until The Death Penalty was abolished in England in 1998.