Broadside regarding the last words of John Knox

Commentary

This broadside begins: 'THE LAST WORDS OF JOHN KNOX / Who was Shot in the North-Inch of PERTH the 24th of AUGUST 1716, about 7 in the morning.' No publication details have been included on this sheet.

Apparently no relation to the famous Scottish Protestant reformer, John Knox (1505?-72), this particular John Knox nevertheless chooses to take the religious and moralistic high ground in his dying speech. Rather than being a supporter of the Protestant faith, however, his allegiance to the Church of Rome is clear through his support for the 'only Rightful Soveraign [sic] K. JAMES the VIII', otherwise known as James Edward Stuart or the 'Old Pretender'.

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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