Broadside entitled 'Horrid Murder!'

Commentary

This crime report begins: 'A full, true and particular Account of that most Horrid and Atrocious murder, committed on the body of a respectable old gentleman of the name of Millie, in the neighbourhood of Cupar, in Fife; together with the apprehension of his man-servant, named Henderson, on suspicion of having perpetrated this barbarous deed, and who is now lodged in Cupar jail.' It was published by Felix O'Neill, and taken from the 'Edinburgh Observer'.

The contents of broadsides were often sourced from established newspapers, which were generally too expensive for the predominantly working-class broadside audience. This report was apparently taken from the 'Edinburgh Observer', a paper which was based at various locations in the Old and New towns of Edinburgh between 1822 and 1845. This murder, we must assume, took place sometime between these dates.

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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