It’s not a subject for the faint hearted – but since beginning his PhD at the University of Sunderland Dr Patrick Low has built a reputation for his knowledge researching the grisly history of public executions in the north-east.
From television appearances on BBC One’s Murder, Mystery and My Family and edited collections, to building a website on the history of Newcastle goal and supporting a new exhibition this year revealing life for inmates inside the 19th century institution, Patrick’s insights into capital punishment have reached global audiences.
Now all his efforts have been rewarded, as he finally steps on stage today at the Stadium of Light to collect his PhD certificate – two years after he graduated. Patrick is one of thousands of graduates invited to join the University’s first in-person catch-up ceremonies, finally celebrating their achievements since the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Sunderland and am grateful for all the support I was given. Without the Culture Beacon funding this study wouldn’t have been an option for someone like me and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity Sunderland gave me. I also would like to pay tribute to my Supervisor Professor Peter Rushton, who sadly died shortly after I completed the Doctorate. He was a great support and a wonderful resource for all things legal and criminal in the north-east of England and is greatly missed.”
Patrick’s interest in 19th century executions in the north-east, began when he first studied his BA History and Politics degree in Sheffield and became interested in 18th century crime and punishment.
After graduating in History and Politics, his career took him on an entirely different path, working in television production for the BBC and various independent production companies.
However, the opportunity to reignite his interest came when Culture Beacon scholarship funding became available at the University of Sunderland to study a PhD: Capital punishment in the north east of England 1800-1878 and post mortem punishment 1752-1878
Patrick began his research in 2014, under the supervision of Professor Peter Rushton, Professor of Historical Sociology, who sadly passed away in 2020.
Explaining his research, Patrick, from Newcastle, says: “The spectre of the scaffold cast a long shadow over Western European history in the 18th and 19th centuries. Yet, its study in the provinces and regions of England is in its infancy, particularly in the North East of England.
“My research offered an extensive study of capital punishment in the region between 1800-1878 and its attendant post-mortem punishments between 1752-1878.
“Through an investigation into the death penalty in the region I examined some of the central themes apparent in the wider history. Most notably, the reasons behind the shifting nature of execution in the 19th century and its presentation and reception when removed behind the prison walls.”
He added: “I also undertook a detailed analysis of the additional post-mortem punishments of dissection and hanging in chains, alongside the often-overlooked punishment of burial behind the prison wall. Through the analysis of these punishments my thesis looked to question broader assumptions of our systems of punishment becoming more ‘civilised’ as they moved to a more private system.”
During his studies, Patrick worked on the University of Leicester and Wellcome Trust’s Harnessing of the Power of the Criminal Corpse project and was responsible for designing and building the projects’ website, and has gone on to build an online history of Newcastle Gaol (www.newcastlegaol.co.uk), a site for which he still regularly blogs.
The 37-year-old also produced a book with Dr Clare Sandford-Couch and Dr Helen Rutherford of Northumberland, an edited collection on 19th century execution culture: Execution Culture in Nineteenth Century Britain: From Public Spectacle to Hidden Ritual.
The book came out of a conference in 2018 which marked 150 years since the end of public execution in Britain (1868).
In 2015 he won the ‘People’s Choice’ Award for the North East ‘3 minute thesis’ competition. He also writes a blog (www.lastdyingwords.com), and his research interests include burial, death, phrenology, shame, the newspapers and punishment.
Alongside his research, he also continues his own work in web and video production for television, online and corporate outlets (www.hellow.co).