# Particular and impartial account, of what happened on the scaffold, at the execution of Colonel Marcus Despard, Thomas Broughton, John Francis, Arthur Graham, John MacNamara, John Wood, and J. Sedgwick Wratten, for high treason

A
PARTICULAR AND IMPARTIAL
ACCOUNT,
OF WHAT HAPPENED
ON THE SCAFFOLD,
At the Execution of
COLONEL MARCUS DESPARD,
| THOMAS BROUGHTON, JOHN FRANCIS, ARTHUR GRAHAM, | JOHN MACNAMARA, JOHN WOOD, and J. SEDGWICK WRATTEN, |
FOR HIGH TREASON.
CONTAINING,
COL. DESPARD's DYING WORDS
to the Multitude, &c.
TO WHICH IS PREFIXED,
An Extract of the Warrant for their Execution,
STIRLING:
PRINTED AND SOLD BY C RANDALL.
1803.
EXECUTION OF COL. DESPARD, &c.
ON Saturday afternoon was received the information that the warranT for execution on Monday had been made outIt was sent to the Keeper of the New Goal in the Borough at six o'clock on Sunday evening, and included the names of
COLONEL DESPARD, THOMAS BROUGHTON, JOHN FRANCIS, ARTHUR GRAHAM, JOHN MACNAMARA JOHN WOOD and JAMES SEDGWICK WRATTEN.
The three OTHER prisoners Newman Tyndal and Lander, recommended by the Jury to mercy, have been respited and will be transported to Botany Bay.
Extract of the Warrant for Execution
'And whereas we have thought fit to remit part of the sentence, viz taking out and burning their bowels. &c and dividing the bodies of Edward Marcus Despard, J. Wood J. Francis A. Graham, and J. Macnamara, severally into four parts, our will and pleasure is. that execution be done upon the said Edward Marcus Despard J. Wood J. Francis Thomas Broughton J Sedgwick Wratten A. Graham, and J. Macnamara by their being drawn and hanged, and having their heads severed from their bodies according to the said sentence only, at the usual place of execution, on ​Monday next, and for so doing this shall be your Warrant.
"By his Majesty's Command" (Signed Pelham."
As soon as the warrant for execution was received, it was communicated to the unhappy persons by the keeper of the prison, Mr Ives, with as much tenderness an humanity as the awful nature of the case required We believe it was expected by all-it was received with resignation and fortitude When the arrival of the death warrant was announced to Colonel Despard he was a little startled and complained that the time was short. He seemed to have had some hopes of a pardon The other six prisoners did not appear to have entertained any such expectations and heard their approaching fate announced with great composure All his papers and every thing he possessed were immediately taken from Colonel Despard He was strictly ⟨searched⟩ to discover whether he had any knife or means of self-destruction concealed about him and everything that it was thought might enable him to put and end to his existence was conveyed out of his reach There is no reason to suppose that he had the slightest sign of committing suicide, but there are the usual and necessary precautionary measures.
Mrs. Delpard was greatly affected when she ​first heard that the fate of the Colonel was sealed. Accompanied by another lady she had a last interview with him on Sunday about three o'clock. The lady wept bitterly; but first Mrs Despard and then the Colonel, reproached her for her weakness. Col and Mrs Despard bore up with great firmness even in parting; and when she got into a coach, as it drove off, she waved her handkerchief out of the window. The other prisoners bore their fate with equal hardihood, but conducted themselves with less solemnity than Colonel Despard. Their wives and children &c. were allowed to take farewel of them on Sunday; and the scene was extremely distressing.
At eight o'clock on Sunday morning Col. Despard and his fellow prisoners were sent for by Mr Ives to attend the Chapel. They all cheerfully obeyed the summons, except Col. Despard and Macnamara; the former assigned no reason for his refusal, but the latter said he was a Roman Catholic, and it would not be consistent with his Faith
The Rev. Mr. Winckworth read prayers, after which he delivered a very impressive sermon extremely applicable to the situation of the prisoncrs. The unhappy men joined in prayer with great devotion; and the impression made by the sermon was indicative of true fortitude, contrition for their crimes, and sincere repentance.
At day light on Sunday morning the drop, scaffold, and gallows on which they were executed, were erected on the top of the goal.— ​The erection of the apparatus of death gave full information to the populace of the approaching event, and great crowds continued to arrive viewing the place the whole day.
Mrs Despard after having taken leave of her husband yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock, came again about 5 o'clock but to spare the Colonel the pangs of a second parting, She was not admitted.
Most of the prisoners passed much of their time in prayer with the clergyman They remained great part of the night in deep and earnest prayer. Macnamara spent the whole night in praycr
Before they received the sacrament, four of them confessed they had done wrong but not to the extent charged against them by the evidence, Graham said he was innocent of the charges brought against him, but that he attended two meetings the second at the instigation of Francis The clergyman said to him You admit you attended meetings." He replied Yes." 'You knew they were for the purpose of overturning the Constitution and Government of the Country. I do not with you to enter into particulars—I only wish you to acknowledge generally' Francis he answered 'I admit that I have done wrong in attending the those meetings." The sacrament was then administered to them.
It was about half past eight when the prisoners were brought up to the scaffold one by one. Macnamara was first brought up; he still held a book in his hand, and when the ​cord was placed round his neck, he exclaimed with the greatest devotion 'Lord Jesus have mercy upon me. Oh! Lord, look down with pity upon me"—Graham came second. He looked pale. and ghastly but spoke not. Wratten was the third: he ascended the scaffold with much firmness. Broughton the fourth smiled as he ran up the scaffold stairs, but as soon as the rope was fastened round his neck, he turned pale and smiled no more. He joined in prayer with much earnestness. Wood was the fifth. Francis the sixth.—Francis ascended the scaffold with a composure which he preserved to the last. Wood and Broughton were equally composed—Of them all Francis was the best looking. He and Wood were dressed in soldiers uniform. The rest were in coloured clothes. Colonel Despard being the last on coming forward he turned to the right and left and repeatedly bowed to the multitude some few of whom, that had placed themselves in phalanx directly opposite the door of the prison returned the failure with a kind of shout, which was, however, overpowered by a solemn murmur of disapprobation.
The ceremony of fastening the prisoners being finished the Colonel advanced as near as he could to the edge of the scaffold, and uttered the following speech to the multitude:
"Fellow Citizens, I come here as you see, after having served my country, faithfully, honourably. and usefully served it for thirty years and upwards, to suffer death upon a ​scaffold for a crime of which I protest I am not guilty, I solennly declare, that I am no more guilty of it than any of you who may be now hearing me, I hope and trust not withstanding my fate and the fate of those who no doubt will soon follow me, that the principles of freedom of humanity and of justice. will finally triumph over every principle hostile to the interests of the human race. And now having said this, I have little more to add." The Colonel's voice seemed to falter a little here. He paused a moment as if he had meant to say something more, but had forgotten it.) He then concluded in the following manner— I have little more to add, except to with you all health and happiness and freedom, which I have endeavoured, as far as was in my power, to procure for you, and for mankind in general."
The Colonel spoke in a firm and audible tone—he left off sooner than was expected. There Was no public expression either of approbation or disapprobation given when he concluded his address
His fellow sufferers said nothing, and all behaved with great decorum, and resignation to their fate.
The convicts were assisted in their devotional exercises by the Chaplain of the prison and a Catholic Priest: in these, however, Mr. Despard, though he conducted himself with most becoming decorum appeared to take no part while one of his unfortunate companions manifested much levity, twc or three ​times Waving his hand with an air of exultation The clergyman now shook hands with each of them. Colonel Despard bowed, and seemed to thank him as he shook hands with him - The executioners pulled the caps over the unhappy persons faces and descended the scaffold-Most of them exclaimed 'Lord Jesus receive our souls!"
At seven minutes before 9 o'clock, the signal was given the platform dropped, and they were all launched into eternity!!!
They remained suspended about half an hour when they were cut down and decapitated by an axe, the operation beginning with that of the Colonel, after which the heads were successively exhibited by the executioner, making the usual proclamation—"This is the head of a traitor!" and designating each by his name.
May the fate of there desperately infatuated men operate as a wholesome lesson, to those who may have been dazzled by the false glare of Revolutionary Politics!!
FINIS
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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