Executions in Scotland from the year 1600 up to the present time
EXECUTIONS
IN
SCOTLAND
FROM THE YEAR 1600 UP TO THE PRESENT TIME.
ALSO,
A SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF THE
Newgate Executioner,
WM. CALCRAFT.
GLASGOW:
Printed for the Booksellers.
MDCCCLIII.
EXECUTIONS
GLASGOW.
At the Howgatehead, where the Monkland Canal Basin now stands.
|
Hugh Billund, robbery, July 10, |
1765 |
|
At the Castle Yard, where the Royal Infirmary now stands.
|
James Jack, robbery, June 7, |
1784 |
|
At the Cross.
|
Walter M‘lntosh, robbery, Oct. 22, |
1783 |
|
| Adam Cox, murder, June 10, | 1870 |
| James Gilchrist, murder, July 20, | 08 |
| John Gordon M'lntosh and George Stewart, house-breaking, Nov. 8, | 09 |
| James Ferguson, robbery, May 26, | 13 |
| W. Muir and W. Mudie, robbery, Nov.17 | 13 |
In front of the New Prison, foot of Saltmarket
| John Sherry, robbery, Nov. 8, | 1811 |
| Freebairn Whitehill, robbery, | 15 |
| William M‘Keehnie and James M'Cormack. housebreaking and theft, Oct 29, | 16 |
| William Baird and Walter Blair, robbery, June 3, | 17 |
| Mathew Clydesdale, murder, and Simon Ross, house breaking, Nov. 4, | 18 |
| A. Robertson, housebreaking and theft, April 7, | 18 |
| R M'Kinlay, Hunter Guthrie, J. Forbes, and Wm. Buchanan, housebreaking and theft, Nov. 3, | 19 |
| John Buchanan, murder, Nov. 17, | 19 |
| Richard Smith, housebreaking, May 31, | 19 |
| James Wilson, treason, hanged and beheaded, Aug. 30, | 20 |
| William Leonard Swan, forgery, June 5, | 20 |
| Malcolm M'Intyre, William Paterson, and Jas. Dyer, housebreaking, Oct. 24, | 21 |
| T. Dunachy, housebreaking and theft, June 5, | 21 |
| John M‘Dougal and James Wilson, housebreaking and theft, June 24, | 22 |
| Francis Kean, robbery, and George Laidlaw, theft, June 2, | 23 |
| W. M'Teague, uttering forged notes, May 19, | 24 |
| J. M'Crewie, housebreaking and theft, June 2, | 24 |
| William Devon, murder, July 21, | 24 |
| James Stevenson, highway robbery, June 1, | 25 |
| James Dollan, street robbery. (This was the first criminal who suffered between the hours of eight and ten o’clock morning.) June 7, | 26 |
| Andrew Stewart and Edward Kelly, street robbery, Nov. 1, | 26 |
| James Glen, murder. (This criminal was dressed in white. Dec. 12, | 27 |
| Thomas Connor and Bell M’Menemy, assault and robbery, Oct. 22, | 28 |
| Edward Moore, murder, May 30, John Hill and William Porter, assault and robbery, May 12, |
30 |
| William M‘Feat, murder, Sept. 20, | 30 |
| David Little, stouthief, Jan 7, | 31 |
| James Campbell, housebreaking and theft, May 16, | 1831 |
| James Byers and Mary Steel, murder, Oct. 6, | 31 |
| William Heath, bank robbery, Oct. 20, | 31 |
| William Lindsay, murder, Jan. 18. | 31 |
| Philip Carney, rape, and John Barclay, murder, May 14, | 33 |
| Henry Burnet, street robbery, Jan. 18, | 33 |
| George Duffy, murder, Jan. 20, | 33 |
| Hugh Kennedy, throwing vitrol, Sept. 29, | 34 |
| George Campbell, murder, Sept. 20, | 35 |
| Mrs. Jeffrey, murder, May 21, | 38 |
| Thomas Templeton, murder, May 27, | 40 |
| Dennis Doolan and Patrick Bedding, murder. [These criminals were executed at Crosshill.] 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, Aug. 11 | 53 |
E D I N B U R G H.
| Thomas Hunter, A.M., murder, -Aug. 8, | 1700 |
| Nichol Mushet, murder, Aug. 8, | 10 |
| Margaret Dickson, murder. [The above criminal recovered, and lived 30 years at Musselburgh, where she was known by the name of “Ill-hanged Maggie.] August 2 | 23 |
| Agnes Crocket, child murder, Sept- S, | 56 |
| Ann Morrison, child murder, March 7, | 58 |
| Janet Heatly, child murder, April 1, | 61 |
| Patrick Ogilvie, for the murder of Thomas Ogilvie, of Easterhill, his brother, and adultery with his wife, Nov. 18, | 65 |
| Margaret Adam, murder, March 2, | 65 |
| Robert Hay, street robbery, March 25, | 67 |
| John Raybould, forgery, Feb.24, | 68 |
| Wm. Harris, forgery, May 20, | 70 |
| Alex M'Donald and Chas. Jamieson, shopbreaking, at Lithgow Bridgend, Sept. 2, | 70 |
| Daniel Deveron, robbery, Jan. 7, | 87 |
| Charles and James Jamieson, robbing the mail,, Jan.29, | 87 |
| John Reid, murder of his son, March 24, | 87 |
| Wm. Brodie and George Smith, Oct 1, | 88 |
| James Falconer and Peter Bruce, bank robbery, Dec, 24, | 88 |
| Bartholmew Collins, murder, Feb. 9, | 90 |
| Wm. Gadsby, robbery, Feb 2, | 92 |
| Wm. Smith, house breaking Oct. 12, | 92 |
| John Paul and James Stewart robbery, July 27, | 1794 |
| Robert Watt, high treason, Oct 13, | 94 |
Thomas Urquhart, postmaster of Kirkwall, Orkney, opening letters, and abstracting money, Oct. 16, |
1800 |
| Richard Brodie, theft, Feb 11, | 01 |
| George Lindsay, murder, April 7. | 02 |
| Margaret Cunninghame, murder, Jan. 7, | 07 |
| Barbara Malcolm, murder, Feb. 10, | 08 |
| Robert Stewart, housebreaking and theft, Feb. 22, | 09 |
| John Armstrong, do Jan 17, | 10 |
| Adam Lyal, highway robbery, March 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, | 13 |
| James M'Dougal. forgery, Aug. 10, | 14 |
| John Murdoch, murder, March 29, | 15 |
| David Thompson, housebg. and theft, March 16, | 16 |
| Robert Johnstone, robbery, Dec. 30, | 18 |
| George Warden, taking money out of letters in Post-office, Aberdeen, April 14, | 19 |
| John Dempey, murder, Dec. 13, | 20 |
| Samuel Maxwell, housebg. and robbery, Jan. 17, | 21 |
| David Haggart, murder, July 18, | 21 |
| John Rennie and William Sutherland, housebreaking and theft, Aug. 22, | 21 |
| Peter Haeman and Francis Gantred, piracy and murder at Leith, Jan. 9, | 22 |
| Wm. M'lntyre, 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 their bodies suffocating them,and selling their bodies for disection, Jan. 28, | 29 |
| John Stewart and Catherine Wright, for murdering three persons, by giving them poison, Aug 19, | 29 |
| Wm Adams or Reid, robbery, Jan. 6, | 29 |
| Robert Edmond, Haddington murders, March 17, | 30 |
| John Thompson and David Dobbie, murder, Aug 13 | 30 |
| George Gilchrist, robbery, Aug. 3, | 30 |
| John M'Court, murder, Dec. 19, | 31 |
| John Howieson, murder, Jan. 21, | 32 |
| Thos. Sweeney, assault and robbery, executed at Greenlaw, April 4, | 34 |
| James Bell, murder, July 6, | 35 |
| Elizabeth, M'Neil, murder, Aug. 3, | 35 |
| Janet Wemyss, murder, April 16, | 40 |
| James, Bryce,murder, April.3, | 41 |
| James Bennison, bigamy and murder, 22 Aug. | 1850 |
| John William, murder, executed at Greenlaw, March, 14, | 53 |
PAISLEY.
| Four men and three women «ere burned at the Gallow-green 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 Perry, murder, Oct. 18, | 37 |
GREEKNOCK.
| Moses M'Donald, housebreaking, June 5, | 1812 |
| Hugh M'llvogue, Bernard M'llvogue, and Patrick M'Crystal, rape and robbery, Oct, 13 | 23 |
| John Kerr, murder, June 6, | 27 |
| John Boyd, murder, | 34 |
AYR.
| John Hadden, housebreaking, Dec.3, | 1768 |
| Matthew Hay, murder, Oct. 18, | 84 |
| Wm. Dornon and Rt. Smith, house-breaking, May 16, | 1809 |
| John M'Millan, murder, May 25, | 10 |
| John M'Manus, murder, and Robert Gibson, robbery, May 27, | 11 |
| George Watson, housebreaking,June 7, | 11 |
| John Wetherington Symington, robbery, Feb. 17, | 14 |
| Wm. Evans, forgery, May 31, | 15 |
| Mary Crossan, fire-raising. Win. Robertson and Joseph Cairns, robbery, Oct. 17, | 17 |
| James Anderson and David Glen, murder, Dec. 12, | 86 |
| Samuel Waugh, murder, Jan. 18. | 31 |
| James M‘Wheelan, murder and robbery, Oct. 26, | 48 |
STIRLING.
| Thomas M'Latchie, housebreaking, Nov. 19, | 1773 |
| G. M‘Kerracher, forgery, April 28, | 83 |
| John Smart, forgery, May 16, | 85 |
| T. M'Nair, robbery at Falkirk, Oct. 26, | 1811 |
| Alex. O’Kane, robbery, Feb. 21, | 13 |
| John Baird and Andrew Hardie, treason, Sept. 8, | 20 |
| John Fleming, forgery, May 11, | 23 |
| John M'Grady, housebreaking. May 25, | 25 |
| Peter Moffat, murder, July 28, | 28 |
| Robert Tennant, murder, Oct. 2, | 28 |
| Alex. Miller, or “Scatters,” murder, April 8, | 27 |
| Alan Mair, murder, upwards of 80 years of age, Oct. 1, | 13 |
INVERARY.
| Ann Campbell and Sarah Graham, murder. Nov 31, | 1789 |
INVERNENESS.
| Christian M'Kechnie, murder, Nov. 2, | 1701 |
| Alex-.Gillan, rape and murder, hung in chains, May 14, | 1809 |
| H. M'leod, murder and robbery, Oct. 24, | 34 |
| John Adams alias John Anderson, murder, Oct. 16, | 35 |
PERTH.
| Alex. M'Cowan, June 5, | 1700 |
| R. Davidson and G. Bruce robbery, June, 22 | 53 |
| John Dow Cameron, murder and robbery, Nov. 3, | 53 |
| Wm Doag, murder, June 13, | 55 |
| H. M’Lean, murder, hung in chains, July 15, | 57 |
| James Russell, robbery, June 27, | 59 |
| Robert Keith, murder, July 2, | 60 |
| John Henderson, murder, hung in Cupar, Sept. 26, | 63 |
| Jean Cameron, child murder, Oct. 19, | 64 |
| Duncan Campbell and 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 Dormand, highway robbery May 31, | 93 |
| Robert Rodger, highway robbery, June 24, | 93 |
| Donald M'Craw. murder, Nov. 13, | 95 |
| J. 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 Balon, murder, executed at Dundee, June 3, | 25 |
| Margaret Wishart, murder, executed at Forfar; June 15, | 27 |
| Arthur Woods, murder, executed at Dundee, March 24. | 29 |
| Thomas Leith, murder, executed at Dundee, Oct. 10, | 47 |
| John Kellochar, murder and robbery, May 29, | 48 |
| J. Robertson, murder, executed at Forfar; May 9, | 50 |
| Michael and Patrick Scanlan, brothers, robbery and murder, executed at Cupar, 5th July, | 52 |
DUMFRIES
| Wm. Johnston, theft, Nov. 3, | 1780 |
| John Carmichael, housebreaking, May 27, | 86 |
| Maitland Smith, murder and robbery, Oct 21 | 1880 |
| James Gordon, murder, June 6, | 10 |
| John M’Canna and Joseph Richardson, forgery, May 14, | 28 |
| James M‘Manus, highway robbery, Oct.18 | 29 |
ABERDEEN.
| John Hutchison, housebreaking and theft June 28, | 1766 |
| Helen Watt, murder, Oct.11, | 63 |
| Wm Keith, (her son,) murder, Nov. 15, | 66 |
| Jean Craig, theft, July 2, | 84 |
| Elspeth. Reid theft, Jan. 14, | 1785 |
| 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, | 19 |
| George Christie, robbery and double murder, Jan 13, | 53 |
JEDBURURGH.
| David Douglas, robbery, Nov. 18, | 1768 |
| Wm. Murray, theft, May 26, | 80 |
| Charles Mercer, rape, Oct 10, | 1809 |
| John Gibson, murder. May 12, | 14 |
| Robert Scott, murder, Oct. 23, | 23 |
| James Rogers, murder, Oct. 20, | 31 |
| J. Wilson, murder, Sept. 23, | 49 |
FOR WITCHCRAFT.
| Allison Pearson, Fifeshire, practising sorcery, and invoking the devil, strangled and burned, | 1568 |
| Euphane M'Calzeane, Edinburgh, burned alive, | 1591 |
| Patrick Lawrie, consulting with the devil, burned | 1605 |
| Isobel Elliot, for having carnal copulation with the devil, strangled and burned | 1678 |
WILLIAM CALCRAFT, the general executioner for Great Britain, and who officiated here on the 11th August, 1853, 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 tothe following oath:—
“I do swear to hang or behead, and to draw and quarter, or otherwise destroy all felons and enemies of the peace of our Lord the King, and of his subjects duly sentenced according to Law, and I will do the like like unto father, mother, sister or brother, and all other kindred whatsoever, without favour or hindrance. 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 groanings of the assemblage, the tolling of the death-bell, and the 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 that is used for the beheading of traitors — a pair of leg-irons—handcuffs — and other fetters — a small coil of rope — and a pair of white caps.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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