49-643: The Porteous Riots surrounded the activities of Captain John Porteous (c. 1695–1736), Captain of the City Guard of Edinburgh , Scotland , who was lynched by a mob for his part in the killing of innocent civilians while ordering the men under his command to quell a disturbance during a public hanging in the Grassmarket , Edinburgh in April 1736. Although the rioters were generally supportive of
98-680: A burial place be made further from the middle of town, such as in Greyfriars yard, and the same [should be] built up and made secure. The Kirkyard was involved in the history of the Covenanters . The Covenanting movement began with the signing of the National Covenant in Greyfriars Kirk on 28 February 1638. Following the defeat of the militant Covenanters at Bothwell Brig in 1679, some 1200 Covenanters were imprisoned in
147-427: A field to the south of the churchyard. When, in the 18th century, part of this field was amalgamated into the churchyard as vaulted tombs, the area became known as the "Covenanters' Prison". During the early days of photography in the 1840s the kirkyard was used by David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson as a setting for several portraits and tableaux such as The Artist and The Gravedigger . The National Covenant
196-599: A headstone of Craigleith stone, bearing the inscription "John Porteous, a captain of the City Guard of Edinburgh, murdered September 7, 1736. All Passion Spent, 1973." The spot where Porteous died in the Grassmarket is today marked by a memorial plate. The site of the notorious Tolbooth prison is marked by paving stones arranged in the form of a heart, known as the Heart of Midlothian . Even today, passers-by will spit on
245-726: A major role in the Porteous Riots , which resulted in his death. John Porteous was born at The Glen , Quair Water , near Traquair , in the Borders , the son of Stephen Porteous, a tailor of the Canongate , Edinburgh. Little is known of his early life, except that he soon found he was not suited to his father's calling. Having served in the Scots Brigade in the Dutch Republic , in 1716 he became drill master to
294-735: A man standing behind in the crowd. Porteous ordered the City Guards to fire on the enraged crowd, killing a further five people. In the ensuing riot, the hangman, Porteous, and the city guards sought refuge in the City Guardhouse on the Royal Mile where the situation worsened. This prompted the Lord Provost of Edinburgh to instruct Captain Porteous to call out the entire City Guard, furnish them with powder and shot, and ensure
343-589: A possible reprieve was such that a plot to murder Captain Porteous was hatched, and when the authorities heard of this, it was decided to increase the guard at the Tolbooth prison. However, on the evening before this was due to happen, a large crowd of over four thousand gathered at Portsburgh , west of the city. Making their way across the Grassmarket to the Cowgate and up the High Street, the mob converged on
392-500: A small group of city tradesmen and journeymen. Despite a reward of £200 being made available by the government for information, those responsible for the murder of Porteous were never found. The final resting place of John Porteous in Greyfriars Kirkyard had for more than two hundred years been marked by a small square stone engraved with the single letter "P" and the date 1736. More recently, this has been replaced with
441-430: A small group of city tradesmen and journeymen. Despite a reward of £200 offered by the government for information, those responsible for the murder of Porteous were never brought to justice. The events surrounding the Porteous Riots form part of the early chapters of the novel The Heart of Mid-Lothian by Sir Walter Scott (1818), where they are recorded in graphic detail. John Porteous had been an early exponent of
490-525: Is associated with Greyfriars Bobby , the loyal dog who guarded his master's grave. Bobby's headstone at the entrance to the Kirkyard, erected by the Dog Aid Society in 1981, marks his reputed burial place, however, as there are no parts of the kirkyard that is not consecrated it is also believed he was buried under a tree outside the gates to the right of the current main entrance. The dog's statue
539-414: Is certain is that Porteous instructed his men to fire above the heads of the crowd, but in so doing, they wounded people in the windows of the high tenement buildings opposite. The crowd became increasingly violent and, as panic set in, Captain Porteous ordered the guard to shoot into the mob, which led to the deaths of six people in all. Porteous was arrested the same afternoon and charged with murder . He
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#1732802246232588-474: Is marked by paving stones arranged in the form of a heart, "The Heart of Midlothian". Tour guides will say that, even today, passers-by will spit on the spot, a tradition originally intended to demonstrate their contempt for the hated Tolbooth. Porteous was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard , Edinburgh, on 9 September, near the westmost wall of the original graveyard. For more than two hundred years,
637-600: Is operated by the City of Edinburgh Council in liaison with a charitable trust, which is linked to but separate from the church. The Kirkyard and its monuments are protected as a category A listed building . Greyfriars takes its name from the Franciscan friary on the site (the friars of which wear grey habits), which was dissolved in 1560. The churchyard was founded in August 1562 after royal sanctions were granted to replace
686-399: Is opposite the graveyard's gate, at the junction of George IV Bridge and Candlemaker Row. The grave of a Pentland Hills Shepherd, "Auld Jock" (John Gray), where the dog famously slept for 14 years, lies on the eastern path, some 30m north of the entrance. The stone is modern, the grave originally being unmarked. Enclosed burial lairs are found mainly on the south edge of the graveyard and in
735-516: The "Covenanters' Prison". These either have solid stone walls or iron railings and were created as a deterrent to grave robbing, which had become a problem in the eighteenth century. Greyfriars also has two low ironwork cages called mortsafes . These were leased and protected bodies for long enough to deter the attention of the early nineteenth-century resurrection men who supplied Edinburgh Medical College with corpses for dissection. The kirkyard displays some of Scotland's finest mural monuments from
784-464: The Edinburgh force in anticipation of a Jacobite rising, and two years later was appointed as ensign to the City Guard , and was promoted in 1726 to the rank of captain . Porteous seems to have been an overbearing official, despised by the mob and the underclasses of Edinburgh society. In 1724 he lost a wager of 20 guineas in playing a game of golf on Leith Links against Alexander Elphinstone,
833-535: The Tolbooth, where they were eventually able to overpower the guards. Porteous was dragged from his cell and up the Lawnmarket towards the West Bow and the Grassmarket, where he was lynched from a dyer's pole, using a rope taken from a local draper's shop. After a short while, he was dragged down and stripped of his nightgown and shirt, which was then wrapped around his head before he was hauled up again. However,
882-474: The area was built on by the city Bedlam (around 1690). A remaining strip of land, sandwiched between the Bedlam and George Heriot's School, was used for additional burial ground from around 1700. The style at the time was to build in enclosed vaults, and this is the dominant form in this section. As the vaults did not exist at the time of the area's prison use, despite their potential to be used as prison cells, this
931-470: The brother of Lord Balmerino . The wager attracted a small crowd, including the Duke of Hamilton and George Douglas . On 14 April 1736, three convicted smugglers, Andrew Wilson, William Hall and George Robertson, were arrested, tried and condemned to death. Hall's sentence was commuted to transportation for life, while Wilson and Robertson awaited their fate. A few days before the execution George Robertson
980-472: The churchyard at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh. The latter burial ground was not used after around 1600. Because it is thoct gude that thair be na buriall within the Kirk, and that the kirk-zaird is nocht of sufficient rowme for bureing of the deid, and for esdrewing of the savour and inconvenientis that may follow thairupon in the heit of somer, it would be providit that ane buriall place be maid farrer from
1029-522: The convicted smugglers, Porteous seems to have been a somewhat overbearing official, despised by the mob and the underclasses of Edinburgh society. In April 1736 three convicted smugglers, Andrew Wilson, a "notorious smuggler ", William Hall and George Robertson, had been tried and condemned to death. While Hall's sentence was commuted to exile, Wilson and Robertson awaited their fate in the condemned cell at Edinburgh's notorious Tolbooth Prison next to St Giles Cathedral . A few days before their execution
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#17328022462321078-445: The disbarment from all offices of the Lord Provost , Alexander Wilson. It was variously thought that Porteous' murder was carried out by friends of those who had been shot and killed, revenge by the smugglers, a Jacobite plot, or even a conspiracy by Presbyterian extremists. However, the organisation of events seems to imply a degree of planning, thought to be the work of James Maxwell, an Edinburgh journeyman carpenter, together with
1127-624: The early 17th century, rich in symbolism of both mortality and immortality, such as the Death Head, Angel of the Resurrection, and the King of Terrors. These are mostly found along the east and west walls of the old burial yard to the north of the kirkyard. Notable monuments include the Martyr's Monument, which commemorates executed Covenanters. The Italianate monument to Sir George Mackenzie
1176-572: The evening before it was due to happen, a mob of more than four thousand gathered at Portsburgh , west of the city. They made their way across the Grassmarket to the Cowgate and up to the High Street before converging on the Tolbooth. Eventually the mob was able to overpower the guards and Porteous was dragged from his cell up the Lawnmarket to the West Bow and down to the Grassmarket. It
1225-457: The game of golf . It is recorded that in 1724, "A solemn match of golf: between the Hon. Alexander Elphinstone and John Porteous became the first match to be reported in a newspaper. Both players were said to have exhibited great skill, and such was the interest in the match that it was attended by James, Duke of Hamilton and George, Earl of Morton , as well as a large crowd of spectators. The wager
1274-474: The government strongly opposed these proposals for constitutional reasons, and nothing was ever done. It was variously thought that Porteous' murder was carried out by friends of those who had been shot and killed, revenge by the smugglers, a Jacobite plot, or even a conspiracy by Presbyterian extremists. However, the organisation of events seems to imply a degree of planning, thought to be the work of James Maxwell, an Edinburgh journeyman carpenter, together with
1323-452: The grave was marked by a small square stone with the single letter P and the date 1736. In 1973, this was replaced with a headstone of Craigleith stone, bearing the inscription "John Porteous, a captain of the City Guard of Edinburgh, murdered September 7, 1736. All Passion Spent, 1973". The events in Edinburgh heightened the sense of alarm in London, where the government was concerned about
1372-422: The guardhouse was not stormed by the rioters. Accounts of events that followed are confusing but what is certain is that Captain Porteous initially instructed his troops to fire above the heads of the crowd. However, in so doing, they wounded people in the windows of the surrounding tenement buildings which just made the crowd even more violent. As panic set in, Porteous ordered the City Guard to shoot directly into
1421-571: The jury unanimously found Porteous guilty of murder. He was sentenced to death and the execution was set to take place in the Grassmarket on 8 September 1736. Porteous was imprisoned in the same condemned cell in the Tolbooth that had earlier held Wilson and Robertson. Events in Scotland alarmed the government in London, and Sir Robert Walpole attempted to influence events by asking his representative in Edinburgh to become involved. A formal appeal
1470-485: The mob and there were even rumours that the local city magistrates had been involved in the conspiracy. In February 1737 a parliamentary inquiry was held in the House of Lords , It initially proposed the disbanding of the City Guard and removal of Netherbow Port, but these proposals were subsequently dropped. Eventually, the only punishments enforced were a £2,000 fine imposed on the city (used to support Porteous' widow) and
1519-409: The mob had not tied his hands and, as he struggled free, they broke his arm and shoulder, while another attempted to set light to his naked foot. He was taken down a further time and cruelly beaten before being hung up again. He died a short while later, just before midnight on 7 September 1736. The spot where Porteous died is today marked by a memorial plate in the Grassmarket. The site of the Tolbooth
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1568-502: The mob which led to the deaths of another six people. However, the rioters retreated and the streets quietened. Porteous was arrested the same afternoon and charged with murder. On 5 July 1736, he was tried at the High Court of Justiciary . A majority of witnesses testified that Porteous had personally fired into the crowd on 14 April, although sixteen others said they had not seen him do so. Feelings were running high in Edinburgh when
1617-466: The myddis of the town, sic as in the Greyfreir zaird and the somyn biggit and maid close. Because it is thought beneficial that there should be no more burials within the church [ie St Giles ], and because that kirkyard is not thought to have sufficient room for burying the dead, and taking into consideration the smell and inconvenience in the heat of summer, it would be provided [by the council] that
1666-423: The pair tried to escape. Wilson removed a bar from the cell window but became stuck "being a very stout man" and blocked Robertson's escape. On 14 April 1736, Andrew Wilson and George Robertson were publicly hanged in the Grassmarket . However, when the body of Wilson was cut down by a sailor, Captain Porteous of the City Guard reacted by grabbing a musket and firing at the sailor. Unfortunately he missed and killed
1715-514: The prison or castle, a makeshift "prison" was formed in a field south of Greyfriars Kirkyard, to hold around 400 not containable elsewhere. This area was conveniently enclosed on two sides by the Flodden Wall and on a third side (the west) by the high enclosing wall of George Heriot's School . The fourth side faced the churchyard and was separated by an easily patrolled and guarded picket fence. The name Covenanters Prison stuck. The bulk of
1764-595: The spot, a tradition originally intended to demonstrate their contempt for the hated Tolbooth. A fictionalised account of the lynching forms part of the early chapters of the novel The Heart of Midlothian by Sir Walter Scott (1818). Captain John Porteous Captain John Porteous ( c. 1695 – 7 September 1736) was a Scottish military officer who served in the Edinburgh City Guard and played
1813-539: The threat to its management of Scotland. It was thought by Walpole, Queen Caroline and the Duke of Newcastle that Porteous had been unnecessarily sacrificed and there were even rumours that the conspiracy had involved the local city magistrates. Various Opposition proposals to disband the city guard and debar the Lord Provost were put forward, and these were the subject of much debate – the Scottish MPs and
1862-449: Was cut down against the wishes of the mob, and the ensuing riot was such that the hangman had to be placed in protective custody. As the situation worsened, for fear of an attempt to rescue the victims, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh instructed Porteous to call out the entire guard and to furnish them with powder and shot. After the execution, the mob became violent and began to stone the City Guard. Accounts of events are confused, but what
1911-490: Was designed by the architect James Smith , and modelled on the Tempietto di San Pietro, designed by Donato Bramante . Duncan Ban MacIntyre 's memorial was renovated in 2005, at a cost of about £3,000, raised by a fundraising campaign for over a year. The monument of John Byres of Coates, 1629, was one of the last works of the royal master mason William Wallace . In 2003, the distinctive domed tomb of Sir George MacKenzie
1960-486: Was enabled by Wilson to escape from his guards while attending a service in St Giles', shouting "Run Geordie, run" as he held two officers and clamped his teeth onto the collar of a third. With the help of sympathetic supporters George Robertson eventually made his way to the Dutch Republic . The remaining convict, Andrew Wilson, was taken to be publicly hanged in the Grassmarket , Edinburgh, on 14 April 1736. His body
2009-411: Was entered by two teenage boys, aged 17 and 15, via a ventilation slot in the rear (now sealed). They reached the lower vault (containing the coffins), broke the coffins open and stole a skull. Police arrived as they were playing football with the skull on the grass. The pair narrowly escaped imprisonment on the little-used but still extant charge of violating sepulchres. (note- CP denotes graves within
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2058-411: Was imprisoned in the Tolbooth prison, near St Giles church. Events in Scotland alarmed government officials in London, and Sir Robert Walpole attempted to influence events by asking his representative in Edinburgh to become involved. But he had miscalculated, underestimating the depth of feeling in Scotland. A formal appeal was petitioned and the execution was deferred. However, public resentment at
2107-563: Was made to set his naked foot alight. He was hauled up again and hung and died a short while later just before midnight on 7 September 1736. He was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard , Edinburgh, the following day. The events in Edinburgh heightened the sense of alarm in London, where the government was concerned about its control of Scotland. Prime Minister Robert Walpole , Queen Caroline and the Secretary of State Duke of Newcastle thought that Porteous had been unnecessarily sacrificed to appease
2156-540: Was never the case. The area was open to public view until around 1990, but was thereafter locked by the City of Edinburgh Council to stem persistent vandalism and use by drug users. The area is accessible during the day by special arrangement with the guides at Greyfriard Kirk during their opening hours and at night by going on a City of the Dead Tour where the Black Mausoleum can be visited. The graveyard
2205-413: Was petitioned to Queen Caroline , who granted a reprieve and the execution was deferred, but Walpole had miscalculated, underestimating the depth of feeling in Scotland. Public resentment grew in Edinburgh when word arrived that Porteous had received a reprieve. The city authorities increased the guard at the Tolbooth prison when they learned that there was a plot to lynch the imprisoned Captain. However,
2254-479: Was signed in the graveyard (as it was a place of free legal public assembly) in 1638. Whilst some depictions of the event show them leaning on table stones, these stones did not exist at that time and the signing was done during the period of the ban on central gravestones. Following the Battle of Bothwell Bridge (22 June 1679), some 1200 prisoners were brought to Edinburgh. There being too numerous for containment in
2303-402: Was there that he was hanged from a dyer's pole using a rope taken from a local draper's shop. After a short while Porteus was pulled down and stripped naked. His nightgown and shirt were then wrapped around his head before he was hanged again. However, as his hands were untied, he was able to struggle free. Some of the mob began beating him savagely, breaking his arm and shoulder and an attempt
2352-430: Was tried at the High Court of Justiciary on 5 July 1736, where a majority of witnesses testified that Porteous had personally fired into the crowd on 14 April, although sixteen others said they had not seen him do so. Feelings were running high in Edinburgh and the jury unanimously found Porteous guilty of murder. He was sentenced to death, the execution was set to take place in the Grassmarket on 8 September 1736. Porteous
2401-533: Was twenty guineas, with Elphinstone winning the match. Greyfriars Kirkyard Greyfriars Kirkyard is the graveyard surrounding Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh , Scotland . It is located at the southern edge of the Old Town , adjacent to George Heriot's School . Burials have been taking place since the late 16th century, and a number of notable Edinburgh residents are interred at Greyfriars. The Kirkyard
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