Account of the executions in Scotland for the past 200 years (1856)
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3219239Account of the executions in Scotland for the past 200 years1856
AN ACCOUNT
OF THE
EXECUTIONS
IN
SCOTLAND
FOR THE PAST
200 YEARS.
PAISLEY,—1866
DUMBARTON.
Murdoch Currie, theft Patrick Lunnay, murder
June 14, 175 Juny. 18 1861
WILLIAM CALCRAFT the general executioner of Great Britain, and who officiated at Dumbarton on the 18th Jan. 1861, was born in the year 1801, of humble but industrious parents, in a little village about ten miles from London, situate in the county of Essex. When 19 years of age he was appointed to the office of Newgate Hangman, and on being installed swore to the following oath.—“I swear to hang or behead, and to draw and quarter, or otherwise destroy all felons and enemies to the peace of our Lord the King, and of his subjects duly sentenced according to Law, and I will do the like unto father, mother, sister or brother, and all other kindred whatsoever, without favour or hindrence. So help me God.”
Thereupon a black veil is thrown over him at his rising ’when he is conducted out of the court, amid the groaning of the assemblage, the tolling of the death-bell, and horrifying words of the city judge grating in his ears, “Get thee hence, wretch!”
The hall in which the oath is administered contains a table with the following articles placed thereon:-An axe, well sharpened!—the same as that used for the beheading of traitors— a pair of leg-irons—handcuffs—and other fetters—a small coil of rope—a pair of white caps.
GLASGOW.
At the Howgate Head where the Monkland Canal Basin is now situated
Date of Execution
Hugh Bisland, robbery,
July 10, 1765
Agnes Dougal, murder
Nov. 1 67
Andrew Marshall, murder,—hanged in chains,
Oct, 25,60
William Mitchell and Charles Gordon, robbery,
Nov. 17, 73
George M‘Taggart, housebreaking, &c.
June 21, 76
At the Castle Yard where the Royal Infirmary now stands
James Jack, robbery
June 7, 1784
James and Win. Brodie & Jean Scott, housebreaking
Nov. 3, 84
Neil M‘Lean, forgery
June 1, 85
David Steven, murder
June 3, 85
Thomas Vernon, robbery
Nov. 9, 85
James Spence, housebreaking and theft
June 7, 86
Elizabeth Paul, housebreaking and theft
Oct. 25, 86
John M‘Aulay, Thomas Veitch, and Thomas Gentles robbery
May 28, 88
ohn Hill and William Porter, assault and robbery
May 12, 1830
William M‘Feat, murder
Sept. 30 30
At the Cross
Walter M'Intosh, robbery
Oct 22, 1788.
William Scott, housebreaking and theft.—This criminal was tried and condemned by the Sheriff
Dec. 3, 88
John Prown, forgery
June 9, 90
James Day, murder
Oct. 20, 90
James Plauket, robbery
Jan. 11, 92
James Dick, murder
May 16, 92
Mortimer Collins, murder
Nov. 7, 92
Agnes White, murder, and James M'Kenzie, robbery
May 22, 92
James M'Kean, murder
Jan. 23, 97
John M'Millan, murder
May 6, 98
Peter Gray, ham sucken
May 28, 1800
William Cunningham, theft
June 8, 03
David Scott and, Hugh Adamson, forgery
June 5, 06
Adam Cox, murder
June 10, 07
James Gilchrist, murder
July 20, 08
John Gordon M‘Intosh and George Stewart housebreaking
Nov 8,09
James Ferguson, robbery
May 26, 13
W. Muir and W. Mudie, robbery
Nov 17, 13
IN FRONT OF THE NEW PRISON.
Wm. Higgins and Thos. Harold, robbery
Oct 10, 1814
John Sherry, robbery
Nov 8, 15
William M‘Kay, forgery
May 28, 15
Freebairn Whitehill, robbery Willam M'Kecbnie and James M'Cormick, housebreaking and theft
Oct 29, 17
William Baird and Walter Blair, robbery
June 3, 18
Matthew Clydesdale, murder, and Simon Ross, housebreaking
Nov. 4, 18
A. Robertson, housebreaking and theft
April 7, 19
B. M'Kinlay, Hunter Guthrie, J. Forbes, and William Buchauan, housebreaking and theft
Nov. 3, 19
John Buchanan, murder
Nov. 17, 19
Richard Smith, housebreaking
May 21, 20
James Wilson, high treason—hanged and beheaded
Aug. 30, 20
William Leonard Swan, forgery
June 5, 21
Malcolm M'Intyre, William Paterson, and James Dyer housebreaking
Oct. 24, 22
Donachy, housebreaking and theft
June 5, 22
John M‘Dougall and James Wilson, housebreaking and theft
June 24, 23
David Wylie, theft
Nov. 12, 24
W. M'Teague, uttering forged notes
May 19, 24
Francis Kean, robbery and George Laidlaw, theft
June 2, 24.
J. M'Crevie, housebreaking and theft
June 2, 24
William Devon, murder
July 21, 25
James Stevenson highway robbery
June 1, 26
James Dollan, street robbery.—This was the first criminal who suffered between eight and ten
June 7, 26
Andrew Stewart and Edward Kelly, street robbery
Nov. 1, 26
Jas. Glen, murder.—This criminal was dressed in white
Dec. 12 27
Thomas Connor and Bell M‘Menemy assault & robbery
Oct. 22, 28
Edward Moore, murder
May 30, 28
David Little, stouthrief
Jan 17 31
James Campbell, housebreaking and theft
May 16, 31
James Byers and Mary Steel, murderers
Oct. 6, 31
William Heath, housebreaking
Oct. 20, 32
William Lindsay, murder
Jan. 18, 32
Philip Camay ripe, and John Barklay, murder
May 14, 32
Henry Burnett, street robbery
Jan. 13. 33
George Duffy, murder
Jan. 20, 35
Hugh Kennedy, throwing vitriol
Sep. 20, 34
George Campbell, murder
Sep. 20, 36
Mrs Jeffrey, murder
May. 21, 36
Thomas Templeton. murder
May, .27, 40
Denis Doolan, and Patrick Redding, murder—Executed at Crosshill near Glasgow
May 14, 41
Charles M‘Kay, murder
May 18, 43
Margaret Lennox or Hamilton, forgery and murder
Jan. 31, 50
Archibald-Hare, murder
Oct. 24, 51
Hans Smith, M'Farlane and Helen Blackwood, murder
Aug, 11, 53
Alexander-Stewart, murder
May 23, 55
Mrs M‘Lauchlan was sentenced to be executed for the murder of Jessie M‘Pherson on the 11th Oct. 1862, but Was respited.
John Reilly, murder
May 16, 64
Dr. E. W. Pritchard executed for the murder of his wife and mother in law. by poison,
July 28, 65
EDINBURGH.
Thomas Hunter, A. M, murder
Aug. 8, 1700
Nicol Musher, murder
Aug. 8, 10
Margaret Dickson, murder—This person recovered and lived 30 years at Musselburgh where she was known 23 by the name of “ill hanged Maggie”
Aug. 2, 56
Agnes Crocket, child murder
Sep. 8, 58
Ann Morrison, child murder
Mar. 7, 61
Janet Heatly, child murder
April 1, 61
Patrick Ogilvie, for the murder of Thomas Ogilvie of Easterhill, bis brother, and adultery of his wife
Nov. 18, 65
Margaret Adam, murder
Mar. 2, 65
Robert Hay, street robbery
Mar. 25, 67
John Raybould. forgery
Feb. 24, 68
William Harris, forgery
May 20, 70
Alexander M‘Dorlaid, and Charles Jamieson, shop breaking at Lithgow Bridgend
Sep. 2, 70
Daniel Deveron, robbery
Jan. 1, 87
Chas. and James Jamieson, robbing the mail
Jan. 29, 87
John Reid, murdering his san
Mar. 21, 87
William Brodie, and George Smith, theft
Oct 1, 88
Jas. Falconer, and Peter Bruce, bank robbery
Dec. 24, 88
Bartholomew Collins, murder
Feb. 8, 90
William Gatlesby, robbery
Feb. 2, 92
William Smith, housebreaking
Oct 12, 92
John Paul and James Stewart, street robbery
July 27, 94
Robert Watt, high, treason
Oct. 13, 94
Melisias Roderick M‘Ullan, forgery on the Paisley Bank
98
Thomas Urquliatti postmaster of Kirkwall Orkney, opening letter's, and abstracting money therefrom
Oct, 16, 1800
Richard Brodie, theft
Feb. 11, 1801
George Lindsay, murder
April 7, 1802
Margaret Curninghare, murder
Jan. 7, 1807
Matthew Smith, murder
——— 08
Barbara Malcolm, murder
Feb. 10, 08
Robert Stewart, housebreaking & theft
Feb. 22, 09
John Armstrong, do do
Jan. 17, 10
A am Lyal, highway robbery
Mar. 27, 11
Hugh M‘Donald, Neil Sutherland, and Hugh M'Intosh, street robbery
April 22, 12
John M‘Donald, and James Jack, murder
April 14, 12
James M'Dongal, forgery
Aug. 10, 14
John Marroch, murder
Mar. 29, 15
David Thomson, housebreaking & theft
Mar. 15, 16
Robert Johnstone, robbery Dec. 30, 18
George Warden, taking money out of letters in Post Office Aberdeen
April 14, 19
John Denipey, murder
Dec. 13, 20
Samuel Maxwell, housebreaking & robbery
Jan. 17, 21
David Haggart, murder
July 18, 21
John Rennie, and William Sutherland, housebreaking and theft
Aug. 22, 21
Peter Hachan, and Francis Gantred, piracy and murder at Leith
Jan. 9, 22
William M'Intyre, housebreaking
Feb. 26, 23
Mary M‘Kinnon, murder
April 16, 23
Daniel M‘Donald Elphinstone, murder
July 3, 24
William Burke, murdering 16 individuals by suffocating them, and selling their bodies for desection
Jan. 28, 29
John Stewart, and Catherine Wright, for murdering three persons, by giving them poison
Aug. 19, 29
Wiliam Adams or Reid, robbery
Jan. 6, 29
Robert Edmond, Haddington murders
Mar. 17, 30
John Thompson, &. David Dobbie, murder
Aug. 19, 30
George Gilchrist, robbery
Aug. 3, 30
John M'Court, murder
Dec. 19, 31
John Howieson, murder
Jan. 21, 32
Thomas Sweeney, assult and robbery—executed at Greenlaw
April 4, 34
James Bell, murder
July 6, 35
Elizabeth M‘Neil, murder
Aug. 3, 35
James Wemyes, murder
April 16, 34
James Bryce, murder
April 3, 44
William Benui, for poisoning his wife
Aug. 16, 50
John Williams, murder—executed at Greenlaw
Mar. 14, 53
William Cumming, murder
Jan. 25, 54
——— Bryce, murder June 31,' 64
PAISLEY.
Four men and three womon were burned at the Gallowgreen for Witchcraft
June 16, 1697
Alexander Provan, murdering his wife had his right hand cut off, and afterwards hanged
1765
Thomas Potts, housebreaking
Aug. 17, 97
John Craig, and James Brown, stouthrief
Oct. 16, 1829
William Pirie, murder
Oct. 18, 37
John Thomson, alias Peter Walker, murder
Jan. 14, 58
GREENOCK.
Moses M'Donald. housebreaking
June 5, 1822
Hugh M‘llvogue, Benard M‘llvogue, and Patrick M'Crystal, rape and robbery
Oct. 13, 23
John Kerr, murder
June 6, 27
John Boyd, murder
Oct. 27, 34
AYR.
John Haddden, housebreaking
Dec. 3, 1768
Matthew Hay, murder
Oct. 18, 84
William Dornon, and Robert Smith, housebreaking
May 16, 1816
John M‘Millian, murder
May 25, 16
John M'Manurs, murder and Robert Gibson,robbery
May 27, 11
George Watson, housebreaking
June 7, 11
John Wetherington Symington, robbery
Feb. 17, 14
William Evans, forger
May 31, 15
Mary Cressan, fire raising, W'm Robertson, and Joseph Cairns, robbery
Oct. 17, 17
James Anderson, and David Glen, murder
Dec. 12, 26
Samuel Wangbt, murder
Jan. 18, 81
James M'Wheelan, murder and robbery
Oct. 26, 48
Alexander Cunningham, murder
May 11, 51
STIRLING.
Thomas M'Lauchlan, housebreaking
Nov. 19, 1773
G. M‘Kerracher, forgery
April 28, 83
John Smart, forgery
Mar. 16, 85
T. M'Nair, robbery at Falkirk
Oct. 26, 1811
Alexander O'Kane, robbery
Feb. 21, 13
John Baird, and. Andrew Hardie, treason
Sep. 8, 20
John Fleming, forgery
May 11, 25
John M‘Grady, housebreaking
May 25, 25
Peter Moffat, murder
July 28, 28
Robert Tennant, murder
Oct. 2, 28
Alexander Millar or Scatters, murder
April 8, 37
Allan Muir, murder upwards of 80 years age
Oct. 4, 43
INVERARY.
Ann Campbell, & Sarah Graham, murder
Nov, 3, 1733
INVERNESS.
Christian M‘Kechnie, murder
Nov. 3, 1733
Alexander Gillan, rape and murder—hung in chains
May 14, 1800
H. M'Leod, murder and robbery
Oct. 24 34
John Adams, alias John Anderson, murder
Oct. 16, 35
PERTH
Alexander M‘Cowan
June 5, 1700
R. Davidson, and G. Bruce, robbery
June 22, 33
John Dow Cameron, murder & robbery
Nov. 3, 53
William Doag, murder
June 13, 55
H. M‘Lean, murder hung in chains
July 15, 1757
James Russell, robbery
June 27, 59
Robert Keith, murder
July 2, 60
John Henderson, murder—hung in Cupar
Sept. 26, 63
Jean Cameran, child murder
Oct. 19, 64
Duncan Campbell, & John Chapel, murder
June 19, 67
Alex. M‘Donald, cattle stealing
Nov. 27, 72
Francis Thornlie, housebreaking
June 7, 74
John Fisher, housebreaking
July 17, 75
James Dorn, highway robbery
May 31, 93
Robert Rodger, highway robbery
June 24, 93
Donald M‘Craw, murder
Nov. 13, 95
A West, housebreaking—executed at Dundee
June 12, 1801
Hans Regelson rape
June 28, 12
John Larg, and John Mitchell, robbery
Feb. 28, 17
Margaret Tindel, murder executed at Montrose
Nov. 2, 23
David Balfour, murder—executed at Dundee
June 3, 25
Margaret Wishatt, murder—executed at Forfar
June 15, 27
Arthur Woods, murder—executed at Dundee
Ma0. 24, 29
Thomas Leith, murder—executed at Dundee
Oct. 10, 47
John Kellochar, murder executed at Forfar
May 9, 52
Michael and Patrick, Scaulan, brothers murder and robbery do Cupar
July 5, 52
DUMFRIES.
William Johnstone, theft
Nov. 3, 1780
John Carmichael, housebreaking
May 27, 86
Maitland Smith, murder and robbery
Oct. 21, 1800
James Gordon, murder
June 6, 10
John M'Canna, and Joseph Richardson, forgery
May 14, 28
James M‘Manus, highway robbery
Oct. 18, 29
Mrs Reid or Timney, murder
April 19, 62
ABERDEEN.
John Hutchison, housebreaking & theft
June 28, 1766
Helen Watt, murder
Oct. 11, 63
William Keith, (her son) murder
Nov. 15, 66
Jean Craig, theft
July 28, 85
Elspeth Reid, theft
Jan. 14, 85
Thomas Donaldson, Wm. Buchanan, and Wm. M‘Leod, housebreaking
May 23, 1823
Malcolm Gillespie, forgery
Nov. 17, 26
Catherine Davidson, murder
Oct. 30, 36
James Burnet, murder
May 28, 49
James Robb, murder
Oct. 10, 49
George Christie, robbery & double murder
Jan. 13, 53
John Booth, murder
Oct. 21, 57
JEDBURGH.
David Douglas, robbery
Nov. 18, 1768
William Murray, theft
May 26, 89
Charles Mercer, rape
Oct. 10, 1809
John Gibson, murder
May 12, 1814
Robert Scott, murder
Oct. 23, 28
James Rogers, murder
Oct. 20 31
M. Wilson, murder
Sep. 25, 49
MONTROSE.
Andrew Brown, murder,
Jan. 31 1866
LINLITHGOW.
Peter M‘Lean, murder
Feb. 2, 1851
FOR WITCHCRAFT.
Allison Pearson, Fifeshire; practising sorcery and invoking the devil, strangled and burned
1582
Euphante M‘Clusean, Edinburgh, burned alive
1591
Patrick Larrie, consulting with the devil burned
1601
James Young, East Burns, strangled and burned
1621
Janet Brown, Burntisland, condemned and executed
1659
Isobel Bairdie, and three women, strangled and burned
1649
Isobel Elliot, Edinburgh for having carnal copulation with the devil, burned by the executioner
1672
THE ENGLISH CRIMINAL CODE.
In the reign of Henry VIII, according to Sharon Turner, there were executed 72,000 great and petty thieves, According to Hume, 2000 were executed annually during that reign, for theft and robbery only, besides other criminals. In the centuary from 1638 to 1738 there were 70,000 executions, or 700 per annum. From 1820 to 1824, the first inclusive and the last exclusive, or 93 a year. From 1828 to 1831, there were 230, or 574 a year. From 1832 to 1835, there were 155, or 387 a year but in the year 1836 there were only 17 executions.
The Plantagenets made 4 offences capital.
The Tudors
27
—
The Stuarts
35
—
The Hanoverians
156
—
Which were reduced in number, considerably in the reign of George IV and William IV., and in the reign of her present Majesty, so great has been the santoration of our Criminal Code, that there are now only 9 offences punishable with death.
For the origin of this purification of our Statue Book from blood, we, are manly indebted to the late Sir Samuel Rowiney and the late Mr Whitbread.
