Albert Pierrepoint was England's most famous hangman, following his father and his uncle into "the family business".
He may have executed up to 600 people since becoming an Assistant Executioner at the age of 27, including around 200 Nazi war criminals in Germany.

He spent a lot of time with his uncle and read his diaries of his executions.
As an 11-year-old he wrote, in response to a school "When I grow up ..." exercise, "When I leave school I should like to be the Official Executioner".

It's the idea of it becoming almost a family business that I find intriguing.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p036bk5b

A hangman is just a paid serial killer.