The Tower of London’s reputation as a site of royal bloodshed is well-known. However, its most deadly period did not occur under the Tudors or Plantagenets, but rather during the global upheaval of the 20th Century.
Between 1914 and 1941, more executions took place inside the Tower than during the reigns of Henry VIII, Bloody Mary (Tudor), Elizabeth I, and Richard III combined.
That there were more deaths in the modern era than across three notorious dynasties defies public expectation. It also reframes the Tower’s legacy: not as a relic of medieval spectacle, but as a quiet instrument of wartime justice.
Tudor Spectacle and Plantagenet Power: Who Died Inside the Tower?
The Tower’s early execution history is tethered to political theatre. Under the Plantagenets, it served as a royal stronghold and prison. William Hastings, loyal to Edward IV, was executed in 1483 at the command of Richard III — his death swift and extra-judicial.
Under the Tudors, the Tower became more theatre than prison. Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536, not by axe but by a French swordsman. Her death was quiet and deliberate. Catherine Howard followed in 1542, this time executed by an axeman. Both were royal wives. Both were condemned within the walls. These were not public spectacles — they were private reckonings, shaped as much by optics as by law. Lady Jane Grey, who was proclaimed queen for just nine days, was beheaded in 1554 after Mary I reclaimed the throne.
These deaths occurred on Tower Green, a private space within the fortress reserved for high-status prisoners. Only seven executions are confirmed to have taken place there. Most others — over 100 — were carried out on Tower Hill, just outside the walls, in full view of the public.
Execution as Spectacle: From Ritual to Reprimand
In earlier centuries, executions weren’t just punishments — they were performances. Scaffolds were built in public places, crowds gathered in anticipation, and the condemned were paraded through the streets like cautionary exhibits. Final speeches were expected. Sometimes rehearsed. By the 20th century, that theatre had vanished. The Tower’s Rifle Range offered no stage, no audience, no redemptive arc — only a chair, a squad, a burst of fire, and then silence.
Tower Hill vs. Tower Green: The Actual Locations of the Executions
Confusion surrounding the history of executions at the Tower of London arises from its close proximity to Tower Hill, which was the site of public executions from the 14th to the 18th Century. During this period, nobles, rebels, and religious dissenters were taken from the Tower to the scaffold, where large crowds gathered to witness their executions.
Tower Green, by contrast, was reserved for discretion. Executions here were private, often witnessed only by a few courtiers and guards. The distinction matters: while the Tower looms large in public memory, most executions associated with it occurred outside its walls.
The 20th-century executions, however, took place at a Rifle Range within the Tower, a utilitarian space repurposed for wartime justice.
Why the 20th Century Became the Tower’s Deadliest Era
Between 1914 and 1941, eleven men were executed inside the Tower, all convicted of espionage against the British state. The executions were carried out by firing squad under the Defence of the Realm Act (1914) and the Treason Act (1351) — ancient laws revived for modern threats.
The individuals who were condemned were primarily German nationals. They were tried swiftly and executed discreetly, and their deaths went largely unrecognised. As a result, their names have been mostly forgotten. Nevertheless, their inclusion in the Tower’s records marks a shift from the Tower being merely a symbol of punishment to becoming a state-sanctioned instrument of detention and execution during wartime. The number of executions in the 20th Century surpasses the total executions carried out during the reigns of the Plantagenets, Tudors, and Stuarts at the Tower.
Rudolf Hess: The Tower’s Final Political Prisoner
On 10 May 1941, Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy, flew solo to Scotland in a misguided attempt to broker peace. Captured and deemed mentally unstable, he was held briefly in the Tower — its last high-profile political prisoner. His presence marked a symbolic return to the Tower’s earlier role as a place for royal and diplomatic detainment. Hess was not executed but later transferred to internment camps and psychiatric facilities.
After the war, Hess was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Nuremberg Trials and died by suicide in Spandau Prison in 1987.
German Spies and Wartime Secrets: The Tower’s Final Condemned Prisoners
Among the executed were Carl Hans Lody, a former naval officer turned spy, and Josef Jakobs, the final man to face the firing squad. Lody’s trial was public, intended as a deterrent. Jakobs, by contrast, was captured after parachuting into England with a broken ankle and a suitcase of forged documents.
Jakobs’ execution on 15 August 1941 was swift. He was seated in a chair — his leg still broken — and shot by a military firing squad. His body was buried in an unmarked grave at St Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Kensal Green.
With Jakobs, the Tower’s execution ledger was sealed. Since then, the fortress has served as a museum, ceremonial site, and symbol of continuity. Its 20th-century toll remains quietly anomalous — a chapter few expected to follow the Tudors.
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References
[1] Historic Royal Palaces. Tower Green and Scaffold Site. hrp.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
[2] Capital Punishment UK. Confirmed Executions at the Tower of London. capitalpunishmentuk.org. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
[3] Tower Hill Execution Memorial. Executions near the Tower of London. hrp.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
[4] Legislation.gov.uk. Defence of the Realm Consolidation Act 1914. legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
[5] Wikipedia. Rudolf Hess. wikipedia.org. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
[6] Free Tours by Foot. Executions at Tower Hill and the Tower of London. freetoursbyfoot.com. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
[7] Historic Royal Palaces. Anne Boleyn. hrp.org.uk. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
It’s sobering to learn that more executions happened at the Tower in the 20th century than in previous eras, especially considering the shift to wartime secrecy at the Rifle Range. I found a related timeline of historical events—including some espionage cases—on a pop-history site, which offered some additional context.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. That part of the Tower’s history doesn’t get much attention, but it’s worth exploring. The shift to secrecy at the Rifle Range changed how things were handled, and the numbers from the 20th century speak for themselves. Glad you found value in the post.