*Ø* Blogmanac | June 2 | Chopped with his own chopper
1581 James Douglas, Fourth Earl of Morton, Regent of Scotland, was beheaded at Edinburgh.
Justice for Douglas
After ruling Scotland for ten years under the auspices of Queen Elizabeth I, Morton fell foul of factionalism at court and found himself on the scaffold. What is striking about his execution is that he was beheaded by a device known as ‘the Maiden’, or ‘Scottish Maiden’ (aka ‘the Widow’), a forerunner of the guillotine (not to be confused with the Iron Maiden, a hollow device like a sarcophagus, with spikes in its interior, in which the victim was confined). It is believed that Douglas himself had introduced the contraption into Scotland for the purpose of beheading the laird of Pennycuick. Records show that the Maiden dates to 1564 (one Thomas Scott, a murderer, had been executed in Scotland in 1566), so an old reference that “He who invented the maiden first hanselled it” is erroneous.
The Maiden was modelled on the Halifax (Yorkshire) gibbet, which was a feared guillotine-like device used on felons who stole property worth at least thirteen and a half pence. It is believed it severed its last head in 1650, but it found a new incarnation in the invention of a French physician, Joseph Ignace Guillotin (May 28, 1738-March 26, 1814), who came up with the idea of the guillotine because he sincerely desired to reduce the suffering of those condemned to death. The belief that Guillotin was also executed on his own device is erroneous as well, as he died of ill health. It is interesting to note, with regard to Guillotine, that his family, ashamed of the good doctor’s invention, petitioned the parliament to change its name. When this was refused, they changed their family name instead.
Anti-capital punishment resources
Pip Wilson's articles are available for your publication, on application. Further details
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June 2 is the day of St Elmo, the early Christian saint and patron of sailors for whom the electrical phenomenon known as St Elmo's Fire was named. Keith C Heidorn, the Weather Doctor, has a great article here.
*Ø*Ø*Ø*
Factoid: It's possible that the Hindenburg airship disaster of 1937 was caused by St Elmo's fire.
1581 James Douglas, Fourth Earl of Morton, Regent of Scotland, was beheaded at Edinburgh.
Justice for Douglas
After ruling Scotland for ten years under the auspices of Queen Elizabeth I, Morton fell foul of factionalism at court and found himself on the scaffold. What is striking about his execution is that he was beheaded by a device known as ‘the Maiden’, or ‘Scottish Maiden’ (aka ‘the Widow’), a forerunner of the guillotine (not to be confused with the Iron Maiden, a hollow device like a sarcophagus, with spikes in its interior, in which the victim was confined). It is believed that Douglas himself had introduced the contraption into Scotland for the purpose of beheading the laird of Pennycuick. Records show that the Maiden dates to 1564 (one Thomas Scott, a murderer, had been executed in Scotland in 1566), so an old reference that “He who invented the maiden first hanselled it” is erroneous.
The Maiden was modelled on the Halifax (Yorkshire) gibbet, which was a feared guillotine-like device used on felons who stole property worth at least thirteen and a half pence. It is believed it severed its last head in 1650, but it found a new incarnation in the invention of a French physician, Joseph Ignace Guillotin (May 28, 1738-March 26, 1814), who came up with the idea of the guillotine because he sincerely desired to reduce the suffering of those condemned to death. The belief that Guillotin was also executed on his own device is erroneous as well, as he died of ill health. It is interesting to note, with regard to Guillotine, that his family, ashamed of the good doctor’s invention, petitioned the parliament to change its name. When this was refused, they changed their family name instead.
Anti-capital punishment resources
Pip Wilson's articles are available for your publication, on application. Further details
*Ø*Ø*Ø*
June 2 is the day of St Elmo, the early Christian saint and patron of sailors for whom the electrical phenomenon known as St Elmo's Fire was named. Keith C Heidorn, the Weather Doctor, has a great article here.
*Ø*Ø*Ø*
Factoid: It's possible that the Hindenburg airship disaster of 1937 was caused by St Elmo's fire.
Pip Wilson posted item above at 5:13 PM | Permalink
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