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It sounds like things turned out ok after all https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wade https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wade

• spywaregorilla 5y ago
  > On 11 March 1789, King George III was proclaimed cured of an unnamed madness; it is assumed that he suffered from porphyria, a degenerative mental disease. A month later, in the spirit of celebration, all the women on death row, including Mary Wade, had their sentences commuted to penal transportation to Australia. What a time
  • Turing_Machine 5y ago
    At one time there were actually more capital crimes than non-capital ones under British law, I believe. Edit: According to Wikipedia, there were 220 capital offenses under the so-called "Bloody Code". Offenders as young as 7 years old were subject to capital punishment. However, many who were sentenced were reprieved, for various reasons. Between 1770 and 1830, out of an estimated 35,000 death sentences, only about 7,000 were actually executed.
    • spywaregorilla 5y ago
      That's interesting. I'm assuming it wasn't because of legal tricks to drag the process out as long as possible as you see today. Any idea what the reasons were?