28mm - Sheffield Gibbet - Medieval England

thingiverse

Spence Broughton, born in 1746, played a key role in the theft of the Sheffield and Rotherham mail. After his execution, his body was put on display at the scene of the crime, Attercliffe Common, between Sheffield and Rotherham, where it remained suspended for an astonishing 36 years. The practice of displaying executed bodies as a warning to others is rooted in medieval times, with Sheffield being one such city that adopted this gruesome tradition. In fact, a gibbet stood tall on the outskirts of town, serving as a grim reminder to potential wrongdoers of the consequences of their actions. Gibbets were a common feature of medieval landscapes, often used to deter crime and serve as a symbol of justice. The remains of Spence Broughton's body hung precariously from this wooden structure, a haunting sight that would have been all too familiar to the residents of Sheffield and Rotherham. For 36 long years, the body of Spence Broughton remained on public display, a macabre spectacle that would have served as a stark reminder to locals of the harsh realities of life in medieval England.