Angelique Tiquet
Angelique Tiquet's infamous botched execution took place in Paris
in 1699. She was senetenced to death by beheading for plotting to
kill her abusive husband although she never actually tried to go through
with it. Several eye-witness accounts of her death survive.
Although the day of execution was hot, shortly before it was carried
out there was a sudden deluge of rain and Angelique, her priest and ger
executioner had to shelter under the scaffold. Her executioner, Charles
Sanson begged Angelique's forgiveness for the delay "...but if I tried
to execute yo during this downpour my saber might slip and cause you undue
suffering." (Angelique's social status permitted her execution via
a sword rather than an axe.)
Eventually the rain stopped and Charles Sanson led Angelique back
onto the scaffold saying "It is time, please forgive me madam". At
that point he broke down and was forced to hand over the execution to his
apprentice (and son).
From Henri Sanson's 'Memoirs'
[He raised with both hands the heavy two-edged sword which was
used for the purpose of decapitation, whirled it in a kind of semicircle
and let the blade fall on the neck of the victim. Her blood
spurted out but th ehead did not fall. A cry of horror rose
from the crowd. He struck again; again the hissing of the sword was
heard but the head was not seperated from the body. The cries from
the crowd became threatening... ...Blinded by the blood that
spurted at every stroke, Sanson brandished his weapon a third time... ...at
last her head rolled at his feet.]
The brutality of the execution was the talk of France for weeks.
From Princess Palatine's letter to her friend 23/06/1699
[...she suffered horribly because the executioner struck many times
before her head came off. There were such crowds of people anxious
to watch her execution that onlooking windows were renting at a cost of
fifty louis d'or.]
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