In January 1885 John Lee, a young servant, was condemned to death in Exeter for the murder of his employer. For reasons that have remained mysterious to this day he could not be hanged: he was placed three times on the scaffold's trapdoors, but each time the executioner pushed the lever the doors became inexplicably locked. The only recorded failure in the history of the 'drop' system - it made of Lee, convicted murderer, a popular hero, known all over the country. Melvyn Bragg relates the facts we know about John Lee to the popular versions of the legend.
Songs performed by members of Fairport Convention:
Dave Swarbrick, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Jerry Donahue and Dave Mattacks.
Broadsheet Ballads sung by Martin Carthy