John Stanton

Stanton had been married just six months when he got into a quarrel with his uncle, Thomas Nield, in a Stafford public house. After finishing his drink he went home, returned with a shoemaker's knife, and fatally stabbed his uncle. He was sentenced to death on 10th March. Marwood was unable to carry out the execution as he had accepted another engagement so the County Officials tried to locate another hangman. Unable to find an experienced executioner, they turned to George Incher, a local man, who travelled from the Black Country to officiate. He turned up at the gaol in a tattered and torn suit and had to be fitted with a set of clothes from the prison before he carried out the execution. Stanton, who was lame, managed to climb the steps to the scaffold unassisted, but being only a small man the short drop failed to break his neck. It was reported that he took a long time to die.  This dreadful event took place in Stafford on the 30th March 1875.  Stanton was just twenty two when he died.