Broadside entitled 'Execution'

Commentary

This execution report begins: 'An Account of the Execution of John Stuart and Catherine Wright his wife, for the Murder of Robert Lamont, by poison, on board of the Toward Castle Steam Boat.'

This sheet mainly deals with the time between the sentencing of Stuart and Wright and their execution, and the National Library of Scotland holds another broadside detailing the offence and trial. It was very common for a series of broadsides to be printed which followed the development of a particular case. This generally involved a report on the crime itself, the apprehension of the suspects, the trial and sentencing, the execution and, finally, the last words.

Broadsides are single sheets of paper, printed on one side, to be read unfolded. They carried public information such as proclamations as well as ballads and news of the day. Cheaply available, they were sold on the streets by pedlars and chapmen. Broadsides offer a valuable insight into many aspects of the society they were published in, and the National Library of Scotland holds over 250,000 of them.

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