Ann Statham nearly fell to her death twice today in 1817.
The 28-year-old single mother was done for killing her baby girl at Whichnor Bridge and was sentenced to death for her murderous crimes.
Precarious
She was due to be hanged and her execution was to take place at Stafford jail on top of the Lodge Gate. Statham was praying on the scaffold where she was about to die when it collapsed. Statham and others landed on roof below and survived.
Landmark
Statham then had a deathly wait while her very own scaffold was resurrected. Hers was a landmark hanging – from then on a portable gallows was used to prevent a repeat performance.
