***The Last Execution In Hawick - 1814*** In the early 1800s, John Gibson (given as Gilroyin the Kelso Chronicle), moved from his native Ayr to Hawick, seeking work as a nailer. He soon settled at Mill Port and married a local woman, Janet Renwick. The couple had no less than 10 children together, although the arrival of child number 11 caused some concern for Mr Gilroy, as he suspected his wife of having an affair with a French Officer. Convinced he was also being poisoned, one Spring evening in 1814, John faked illness to gauge his wifes reactions. He challenged Janet in the bedroom, the pair argued ferociously and blows were struck. John took a pen knife out of his jacket pocket - and in a fit of rage - cut Janets throat. He was taken to Jedburgh Jail soon after. On April the 9th, at the Circuit Court of Justiciary (Jedburgh), John Gilroy plead guilty to murder and was sentenced to death. It also emerged during proceedings that he was a former soldier in the 9th Regiment of Foot. At 10am, on 12 May 1814, an otherwise quiet day by all accounts, John was led from his cell at Jedburgh Jail, to a spot a mile from the town, known as Burgess Slap. He was given time to hold conversations with the Reverend Clark, the Jethart Magistrates and the Provost, bible in hand at all times. A party of 70 townspeople led the solemn handover parade, with John seated on a cart drawn by horses. At the meeting point, on what is now the A698 at Haughhead, he was handed over to the Sheriff of Roxburgh County, accompanied by the Western Troop of the County Yeomanry, whilst the all important death warrant was given over to the Sheriff Depute. At this point the Jedburgh contingent turned and left for home. The new parade was led to the Town House (replaced in the 1880s by todays Town Hall), where upon request, John had a 30 minute prayer session with the Reverends Finlayson and Hamilton. A gibbet and scaffold were erected earlier in the day at the Common Haugh, adjacent to the old Toll House. This was inkeeping with the Scottish custom of executing criminals at the closest public space to the crime - in this case, Mill Port. The Yeomanry and Town Guard were on duty from 11am, and crowds gathered on the streets leading to the Haugh. The Yeomanry played a death march as John sidled his way to meet his fate. A line of two companies of the Roxburgh Yeomanry lined and guarded either side of the streets, from Drumlanrig Brig to the Haugh. At his own request, the assembled crowd and clergy sang the hymn The hour of my departures come, followed by a prayer from the Reverend Arkle. Stepping forward in a firm voice, John told the crowd: Since my condemnation, a great many lies have been circulated about me - the authors of which I freely forgive. I am now on the brink of eternity, and with the awful prospect before me, I certainly declare that I never materially injured man or woman, but my own family, for which I am now to suffer. John then told the assembled masses that a pamphlet would be distributed after the hanging, futher detailing his last thoughts and wishes. He added: I now warn all who hear me to beware of any excessive drink or passion - to these causes I owe my unhappy fate. Standing in quiet contemplation for a few minutes, John then stood on the platform and was launched into eternity. Many were struck by the solemnity and composure of Mr Gibson, who was said to have been very penitent, whilst he entertained a proper sense of the atrocity committed. The fact remains that John Gibson, 40 years old, of Mill Port, was the last person to be executed in Hawick, almost 200 years ago. His body was given to the Professors of Anatomy, at the University of Edinburgh. It is worth noting that his surname is given in some sources as Giholl and Gilroy. (After initially posting this article, we received a message from Alistair Gibson, supported by new documents. Although the Kelso Chronicle and various sources give different surnames, we now know that the man was John Gibson - not Gilroy). John was Alistairs great, great, great grandfather. He worked as a Butcher after coming to Hawick and was called into the army at the time of the Napoleonic Wars. He fled to Newcastle, but was caught and press-ganged into the Navy. When in London, John jumped ship and walked all the way back to Newcastle! The French Naval Officer he suspected his wife of having an affair with, was a prisoner of war, one of many stationed in Hawick. When he murdered his wife Janet, his father-in-law Gideon turned John over to the authorities. Not only was this the last execution in Hawick, but also the last public hanging in the Borders. #proHawick
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 23:17:34 +0000
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