In Olde England most people had to name their occupation to own property and in census’ at the times between 1200 amd 1400 AD .Richardus De Cawood as a pistor or Miller while it seems Thomas De Cawood was listed as a Carnifex or a hangman, this one has left me wondering who he hanged and if it was anyone famous, I searched but found nothing,, and will always be a mystery, I suppose, lost in the fog of time. It has however given me an Idea for a story that I will write at a future time.

Many executioners were professional specialists who traveled a circuit or region performing their duty, because executions would rarely be very numerous. Within this region, a resident executioner would also administer non lethal torture or punishment.

It was a family business often with an actual executioner having a few assistants.
It needs to note that beheadings in Western Europe of the Middle Ages were a privilege provided to nobility and bold criminals usually as petty criminals were executed by hanging, and heretics were burnt being tied to stake. There were also special kinds of execution requiring special skills. Those found guilty of high treason in mediaeval England as early as in the 13th century were sentenced to death by hanging, drawing and quartering. A person condemned was fastened to a hurdle and dragged out by horse to a public place where he was hanged by the neck almost to the point of death. He was placed on a table while still alive, disembowelled and emasculated, i.e. had his interstines, penis and testicles cut off. These were thrown into a fire nearby to let him watch if still conscious. He was beheaded, his heart pulled and also thrown into a fire with the rest of his body quartered, i.e. separated by axe into four parts, and put on display in public places. Women found guilty of high treason were burnt at the stake instead. This practice continued in England until terminated officially in 1870, though the last person executed this way was David Tyrie in 1782.

Those condemned to beheading or hanging, drawing and quartering often paid their executioners or gave them any pocket money available in order for them to remain sober and do their job fast as unprofessional execution was quite painful.

The situation with hangmen could be different in other parts of the world. In the Ottoman Empire, executioners and gravediggers were gypsies and the Turks considered them damned people. There were even separate graveyards for them.

Finally, an old joke which is true to some extent as any good joke. Charles-Henri Sanson, a French master executioner who carried out sentences on 2918 people including Louis XVI, Robespierre and Danton, was asked by Napoleon Bonaparte how he can sleep well having so much blood on his hands. The answer was: “If emperors, kings and dictators can sleep well, why shouldn’t an executioner?”

A Carnifex did more than just hang people they were also punishers, who would torture ,burn, or disembowel the guilty. They have often been portrayed as wearing a black hood or mask but very few did, they were usually like movie stars and revered for their work.