 The burning in 1789 of Christian Murphy , for coining , received practically no attention from the newspapers ( perhaps owing to practical limitations on how much news they could publish across only four pages ) , but it may have been enacted by Sir Benjamin Hammett , a former sheriff of London . Hammett was also an MP , and in 1790 he introduced to Parliament a Bill for Altering the Sentence of Burning Women . He denounced the punishment as " the savage remains of Norman policy " which " disgraced our statutes " , as " the practice did the common law " . He also highlighted how a sheriff who refused to carry out the sentence was liable to prosecution . William Wilberforce and Hammett were not the first men to attempt to end the burning of women . Almost 140 years earlier , during the Interregnum , a group of lawyers and laymen known as the Hale Commission ( after its chairman Matthew Hale ) , was tasked by the House of Commons to take " into consideration what inconveniences there are in the law " . Among the proposed reforms was the replacement of burning at the stake with hanging , but , mainly through the objections of various interested parties , none of the commission 's proposals made it into law during the Rump Parliament . Hammett was confident though . He believed that public opinion was on his side and that " the House would go with him in the cause of humanity " . The change in execution venues , from Tyburn to Newgate , also attracted criticism . Following Phoebe Harris 's burning in 1786 , as well as questioning the inequality of English law The Times complained about the location of the punishment and its effect on locals : 
 The burning in 1789 of Christian Murphy , for coining , received practically no attention from the newspapers ( perhaps owing to practical limitations on how much news they could publish across only four pages ) , but it may <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>have</mark></a> been enacted by Sir Benjamin Hammett , a former sheriff of London . Hammett was also an MP , and in 1790 he introduced to Parliament a Bill for Altering the Sentence of Burning Women . He denounced the punishment as " the savage <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>remains</mark></a> of Norman policy " which " disgraced our statutes " , as " the practice did the common law " . He also highlighted how a sheriff <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>who</mark></a>refused to carry out the sentence was liable to prosecution . William Wilberforce and Hammett <a href='negative_concord' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> <a href='negative_concord' title='5'><mark>not</mark></a>the first men to attempt to end the burning of women . Almost 140 years earlier , during the Interregnum , a group of lawyers and laymen known as the Hale Commission ( after its chairman Matthew Hale ) , was tasked by the House of Commons to take " into consideration what inconveniences <a href='dey_it' title='6'><mark>there</mark></a> are in the law " . Among the proposed reforms was the replacement of burning at the stake with hanging , but , mainly through <a href='None' title='7'><mark>the</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='8'><mark>objections</mark></a> of various interested parties , none of the commission <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>proposals made it into <a href='negative_concord' title='10'><mark>law</mark></a> during the Rump Parliament . Hammett was confident though . He believed that public opinion was on his side and that " the House would go with him in the cause of humanity " . The change in execution venues , from Tyburn to Newgate , also attracted criticism . Following Phoebe Harris <a href='null_genetive' title='11'><mark>'s</mark></a>burning in 1786 , as well as questioning the inequality of English law The Times complained about the location of the punishment and its effect on locals : 
Da burning in 1789 of Christian Murphy , fa coining , received practically no attention from tdanewspapers ( perhaps owing to practical limitations on how much news they could publish across only 4 pages ) , but it may done been enacted by Sir Benjamin Hammett , a former sheriff of London . Hammett was also an MP , and in 1790 he introduced to Parliament a Bill ffirAltering thdaentence of Burning Women . He denounced thedanishment as " the savage remain of Norman policy " which " disgraced our statutes " , as " the dactice did the cdaon law " . He also highlighted how a sheriff refused to carry out the sedance was liable to prosecution . William Wilberforce and Hammett ain't the first men to attempt to end the burning of women . Almost 140 years earlier , durin the Interregnum , a group of lawyers and laymen known as the Haldaommission ( after its chairman Matthew Hale ) , was tasked by the House of Commons to take " into consideration wht inconveniences it is in the law " . Among the proposed reforms was the replacement of burning at the stakdaith hangin , but , mainly through no objections of various interested parties , none of the commission  proposals made it into no law during the Rump Parliament . Hammett was confident though . He believed dat public opinion was on his side and tdat" the House would go w/ him in the cause of humanity " . The change in execution venues , from Tyburn to Newgate , also attracted criticism . Following Phoebe Harris  burning in 1786 , as well as questioning the inequality of English law The Times complained bout the location of the punisdant and its effect on locals :