Broadside entitled 'Lament of Macfarlane, Blackwood and Young'

Commentary

The first lament begins: 'EACH feeling heart pray lend an ear / Unto this mournful tale, / It will draw a tear of sympathy, / I'm sure it cannot fail ; / It's of three wretched criminals, / In prison now we lie, / For the murder of Alexander Boyd / We are condemned to die.'

The second lament begins: 'GOOD people attend to our sad dismal tale, / And let our latter end be a warning to thee, / For base cruel murder we're doomed to suffer, / On the eleventh of August we must die on a tree.'

This broadside was printed in Glasgow and sold from premises at 203 Gallowgate. Two lamentations printed on one broadside would have been considered a bargain, and probably would have sold well. In 1853, Hans Smith McFarlane, Helen Blackwood and Ann Marshall or Young were charged with the murder of Alexander Boyd. Whilst McFarlane and Blackwood were found guilty and sentenced to be executed, Marshall was also found guilty but was recommended to mercy.

previous