She survived the gallows, throwing 17th century England into a panic.
Had they made a mistake, or was it God telling them, they were wrong.
In those days this was an awful dilemma as if it was God, would he use this to wreak his revenge?
What happened?’
Well, the story of Anne Green can only be described as strange. This is a tale that begins in tragedy, takes an unexpected turn, then leaves both history and us reeling. One that shook the very foundations of society and religious beliefs in 17th-century England, leaving the authorities baffled and the public astonished.
The story of Anne Green’s survival was not only a medical marvel but also a deeply meaningful event that forced people to ask questions about everything they thought they knew about life, death, and, more importantly, divine intervention.
A Scullery Maid’s Fate in 17th-Century England
The life of a scullery maid in 17th-century England was one of hardship and toil. These young women were usually from destitute backgrounds, worked long hours doing menial labour in the kitchens of grand houses. Anne Green was one such woman, she was employed by Sir Thomas Read at his manor in Duns Tew, Oxfordshire, in the early 1650s. Like many others in her position, her life was not expected to be easy.
Anne’s life changed, because of what regularly happened to many maids in those days, she caught the eye of Sir Thomas Read’s teenage grandson! In those times, it seemed inevitable that women of lower social standing were taken advantage of by wealthy or noble men. That is exactly what happened to Anne, she was taken advantage of by the grandson of the family, she became a victim of his seduction. Inevitably, this illicit relationship resulted in her pregnancy, now, this was a dangerous situation for a woman in her position, as in those days moral judgment always fell more heavily on the woman than the man.
Unbeknown to Anne, she carried the child for six months before miscarrying. In her shock and desperation, she did what many women in her position might have done. She hid the foetus. Now, this was a time when science often misunderstood the nature of pregnancy, miscarriage, and childbirth, and a woman’s responsibility when being pregnant was a matter of severe moral scrutiny. To Anne’s horror, the concealed foetus was discovered!
This was the start of her descent into a nightmare and, even though she didn’t know it at the time, into history.
Charged with Infanticide: A Deadly Accusation
In 17th-century England, the legal system was harsh, there was little room for subtlety when it came to matters of morality and the sanctity of life. As a result, on the discovery of the foetus Anne was charged with infanticide, a crime that, at the time, was punishable by death. The belief was that if a woman concealed the death of her child, she must have murdered it. It was a harsh time as the law made little distinction between a miscarriage and an intentional act of violence against a newborn. This meant that Anne was brought to trial in Oxford, where the court found her guilty, with the result that it was decided that she should be sentenced to hang at Oxford Castle on December 14, 1650.
For Anne Green, it must have felt like the end of everything. In the eyes of the law, she was condemned, her fate to be sealed by the gallows.
However, this is when the twist comes.
The Execution: A Turn Towards the Unthinkable
Executions in 17th-century England were grim public spectacles, and Anne’s hanging was no exception.
On that cold December day, she was led to the gallows where she was hanged. The hanging in those days was carried out in the usual way, the rope was tied around her neck, and she was dropped. Her body was left hanging for half an hour to ensure that death had taken hold. In the eyes of the crowd and the executioners, Anne Green had met her end, just as countless others had before her.
During this time in Oxford it was the practice that once a dead body was taken down from the gallows, it was sold to the University of Oxford for dissection, a common custom at the time. The University found this very useful as the bodies of criminals, once executed, were ideal for medical research and study. So, once taken down Anne’s body was handed over to two physicians, who were ready to dissect it for the benefit of their students.
Then, what they were about to discover changed everything!
The Miracle at Oxford: Anne Green Lives
The two physicians, Dr. William Petty and Dr. Thomas Willis, opened the coffin as usual, ready for the dissection, but, well they met an astonishing sight. Anne Green was not dead!
She was still breathing, yes, albeit faintly. Now this left the doctors with an ethical dilemma. They were faced with the undeniable fact that this woman, condemned by the law and presumed dead by society, was, somehow still alive. Their decision was swift and clear, they were doctors, dedicated to preserve human life, they had a duty to save her.
The two physicians quickly set to work, using all the medical knowledge available to them to revive Anne.
They applied hot cordials, massaged her body, and even used a bellows to blow air into her lungs.
Slowly but surely, Anne began to show signs of life. Her breathing became more regular, and her pulse grew stronger. After several hours of care, Anne Green, who had been hanged, declared dead, and prepared for dissection, was now fully conscious once again!
Dilemma for the Authorities: What to Do with Anne?
Anne Green’s unbelievable revival created a major problem for the authorities. Legally, she had been sentenced to death, and that sentence had been carried out. However, she was, alive and breathing, defying both the law and the executioner.
What were they to do with her?
- Should they hang her again?
- or
- was she now untouchable, having survived the gallows?
In 17th-century England, the line between legal matters and religious belief was often blurred. The authorities, unsure of how to proceed, turned to the only explanation that made sense in a deeply religious society.
Anne’s survival was a sign from God.
They concluded that her miraculous recovery must be divine intervention, a message from God that they had made a mistake in sentencing her to death. In their eyes, this was not a medical anomaly but an act of divine mercy!
With this reasoning, Anne Green was officially pardoned. The court could not, after all, argue with what they perceived as God’s will. Anne, who had been condemned to die, was now free to live her life.
The Aftermath: A New Life for Anne Green
Anne Green’s life after her miraculous escape from death took a more positive turn. Having been pardoned by the authorities, she returned to society not as a disgraced criminal, but as something of a local legend. Her survival became a symbol of divine justice and a source of fascination for the public. It was widely believed that God had intervened to save an innocent woman from wrongful execution.
In the years that followed, Anne married and went on to have three children, all of whom survived infancy, a remarkable feat in an era when child mortality rates were high. Despite her brushes with death and the hardships of her early life, Anne was able to enjoy some semblance of happiness and stability. Tragically, however, her life ended in another chapter of sorrow: she died in childbirth at the age of 37.
Anne’s Coffin.
One of the more curious details of Anne Green’s life after her execution is the fact that she kept the coffin in which she had been placed following her hanging. This coffin, a grim reminder of her miraculous escape from death, remained in her possession for the rest of her life. It’s easy to imagine why Anne would hold on to such an object. For her, the coffin was not just a macabre souvenir but a symbol of her survival, a reminder of the moment when death had nearly claimed her, only for her life to be restored.
This act of keeping the coffin speaks volumes about Anne’s character. She had faced death, been declared dead, and yet she had come back to life. To keep the coffin might have been her way of acknowledging that death was always near but that she had defied it once. It also served as a evidence of her belief in divine providence, which had saved her from what she, naturally, believed was a wrongful execution.
The Legacy of Anne Green’s Story
The story of Anne Green spread far and wide in the years following her miraculous revival. It became a topic of discussion in medical circles and was recorded in various pamphlets and books of the time. Her case is still studied today as one of the earliest examples of what we might now call “near-death experiences” or cases of suspended animation. In modern medical terms, it is possible that Anne’s hanging did not cause immediate death due to a combination of factors: the rope may not have been tight enough, or her body may have gone into a state of shock that mimicked death.
Whatever the medical explanation, the story of Anne Green remains a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the mysteries that lie at that line between life and death. It also serves as an interesting insight into the way 17th-century society understood the world. It was also a time when the divine and the earthly were extremely interlocked, and therefore a woman’s survival was seen as nothing less than a message from God.
Even today, Anne Green’s story is one that captivates us. It is a tale of suffering and injustice, of amazing survival, and of the lasting power of belief. Anne Green was a woman who faced the ultimate punishment, only to be given a second chance at life.
That, in itself, is a story worth knowing.
10 questions to discuss:
- How did Anne Green’s social status as a scullery maid influence the outcome of her trial and subsequent events?
- What were the prevailing attitudes towards women’s rights and autonomy during Anne Green’s time, and how did they factor into her legal proceedings?
- Considering the societal norms of the 17th century, how did Anne Green’s pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage impact perceptions of her morality and innocence?
- In what ways did religion and divine intervention play a role in Anne Green’s story, both during her trial and after her miraculous survival?
- What medical knowledge and practices were available in the 17th century, and how did they contribute to the mistaken belief that Anne Green was dead?
- How did Anne Green’s survival challenge the understanding of death and the reliability of medical procedures in the 17th century?
- What were the implications of Anne Green’s case on the legal system of the time, particularly in terms of the use of capital punishment and the potential for miscarriages of justice?
- How did Anne Green’s experience after her revival shape her outlook on life and her interactions with society?
- What do historical records reveal about public reactions to Anne Green’s case, both at the time of her trial and in the years following her miraculous survival?
- How has Anne Green’s story been remembered and interpreted throughout history, and what does it reveal about broader themes such as justice, forgiveness, and the human capacity for resilience?
For more information:
https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/anne-greene-0011701
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/oxford-resurrection
© Tony Dalto
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