Page:Account of the executions in Scotland for the past 200 years.pdf/8

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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.

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