Editing Death by burning (section)

===Legislation against the practice===
In 1790, Sir [[Benjamin Hammett]] introduced a bill into the British [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] to end the practice of judicial burning. He explained that the year before, as [[Sheriff]] of London, he had been responsible for the burning of [[Catherine Murphy (counterfeiter)|Catherine Murphy]], found guilty of [[counterfeit]]ing, but that he had allowed her to be hanged first. He pointed out that as the law stood, he himself could have been found guilty of a crime in not carrying out the lawful punishment and, as no woman had been burnt alive in the kingdom for more than half a century, so could all those still alive who had held an official position at all of the previous burnings. The [[Treason Act 1790]] was duly passed by Parliament and given [[royal assent]] by King [[George III]] (30 George III. C. 48).<ref>''Wilson'' (1853), [https://books.google.com/books?id=JdkHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA4 p. 4]</ref> The [[Parliament of Ireland]] subsequently passed the similar [[Treason by Women Act (Ireland) 1796]].{{fact|date=October 2023}}