Hangman Island

Hangman Island, also known as Hayman's Island, is an island in the Quincy Bay area of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The island is a barren outcrop of bedrock, with a permanent size of half an acre rising to only three feet above sea level, plus an intertidal zone of a further 5 acres (20,000 m²). Access is by private boat only.

Approach to this island should be made with care and with the use of a nautical chart since there are many rocks and shoals in the immediate area. There is a small pebbly beach on the southern side. Special care should be taken when passing close aboard this island. Shoals extend approximately 250 yards (230 m) to the northeast (061 degrees true) from this island and approximately 480 yards (440 m) toward the south and southwest (246 degrees true). There are many rocks and ledges in these areas that are hidden at high water. A green and white daybeacon on a pile marks the southwestern point of these shoals.

On a 1775, London chart, this island was labeled Hayman's Island and shows a greater area than presently exists. There is no historical evidence that this island was used as a location for hanging criminals. The source of its current name has a hazy history. In 1882, several fishermen built fishing shacks on Hangman Island and were reported to have cultivated a vegetable garden here among the rocks. As of 2006, there are no human inhabitants on Hangmans Island. It is being used as a bird sanctuary and landing on this island is discouraged. Local private fishermen fish for striped bass among the rocks located on and near this island during the summer season. The label Hangman's Island also appears on a 1733 Map Of the British Empire in America created by Henry Popple.