THE ROCHDALE HANGMAN JOHN ELLIS
In 1901 John Ellis received a letter which was to change his life forever. It was to inform him that his application to become a hangman had been successful. In his typical, reserved way he had not informed his family of his intentions. “The Rochdale Hangman” as he was to be known was born in Broad lane, Balderstone in 1874, one of six children of hard working parents. His father owned a barbers shop on Oldham Road. John chose to work in a mill, before succumbing to a back injury and eventually becoming a barber himself at 451 Oldham Road.
wife. He was hung by Ellis on 23rd November 1910 at Pentonville.
Strangeways on 27th February 1906 with Ellis as assistant executioner.
Closer to home was a murder in neighbouring Shaw. One evening on 19th February 1905, 17 year old Kate Garrity went out to fetch a jug of beer. She was found strangled in a lane the next morning. Her former boyfriend, 19 year old John Griffiths was found guilty.
Another local case was that of easy going barman Walter Martyn, aged 23, who was courting a single mother, Edith Griffiths of Adelaide Street, Heywood. They were planning to get a house together. On 28th September 1911 they went walking in Plumpton Wood, Heywood. He emerged, alone and went to the Black Bull where he worked telling the landlord that Edith was dead. Her body was next to the river, strangled. They had
The evidence was, largely , circumstantial and a reprieve was recommended. This did not arrive and John Griffiths was hung at
In his capacity as hangman John travelled from Rochdale by train to prisons such as Pentonville and Newgate. By law, he arrived a day prior to execution in order to ensure that the gallows were fit for use. He would stay overnight within the prison and was fastidious in ensuring that the victim suffered no discomfort or duress at the moment of execution. As assistant to the chief executioner, William Billington, his pay was £2 2s but this rose to £10 plus expenses when he, eventually, took over the role. Ellis went on to be involved in 203 executions, 160 as main hangman. Many cases throughout his career were high profile and highly publicised. The case of Dr Crippen is well known, even today. The public took great interest in the daily news of a high speed chase by liner across the Atlantic to arrest Crippen and his younger lover on the Ontario quayside for the murder of his 46
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