# Account of the executions in Scotland for the past 200 years

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.
PAISLEY.
PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS
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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