Sinister sights at our jail that children love

IN your article on the hangings in Carmarthen jail (Western Mail, December 16) you include the words “in 1633 Father Arthur, an Irishman, was hanged drawn and quartered for conspiring the King’s death, and cursing him”.

There has never been located any record of truth to this assertion.

A London newspaper did once make such an allegation, which has since been picked up by many newspapers, including yours, over the years, but no proof of this has ever been forthcoming.

In any case, construction of Carmarthen jail, designed by John Nash, did not begin until 1755.

Records do, however, show that in 1867 one James O’Connor was hanged twice, when at the first attempt, on opening the trapdoor, O’Connor, the rope and all fell through to the ground – the rope had either snapped, or the cross beam holding it had broken.

Despite O’Connor’s pleas he was hanged again, the second time successfully.

Carmarthen County Council, together with the Town Council, organise (free) Historic Town Walks on Wednesday mornings during the spring and summer months, which include visits to the scaffold (actually a replica) and, much more scarily, to the 1275 Great Tower dungeon – where prisoners were strung up and left to rot. This is a most popular aspect of our special schoolchildren’s tours programme.

Philip Grice Carmarthen town councillor and

tour guide