Commentary
This court report begins: 'TRIALS & SENTENCES / Glasgow, Sept. 22d, 1823. - The Court of Justiciary was opened by the Right Hon. The Lords Justice Clerk and Hermand, when, after an impressive prayer from the Rev. Dr. Chalmers, the Court proceeded to try the following cases:-'. It was printed by William Carse of Glasgow and probably sold for one penny. What follows is a list of all those who were tried and sentenced by the court on this particular day. It offers an interesting insight into crime and punishment in nineteenth-century Scotland. For crimes that by today's standards are considered fairly minor, such as theft and housebreaking, criminals could expect a lengthy stay in prison, transportation or even, in a surprisingly large number of cases, the penalty of death by hanging. 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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Date of publication:
1823 shelfmark: L.C.Fol.73(063)
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