The Price of Hate
In the year 1705 Leith was the scene of those stormy episodes connected to the execution of the Captain and two seamen of the English Ship “Worcester”.
The oppressive clauses of the English Parliament concerning the proposed Union of Scotland and England had hurt Scottish pride to fever heat and had alienated many people who had been in favour and so mutual jealousies and hatred increased.
The Darien Company despite the failure of their project in Panama still traded with the East and at this time one of their ships the “Annandale” had been seized in London and was sold by the English India Company and for which no restitution or payment was made.
Shortly after this the English ship “Worcester” in need of repairs docked at Burntisland and was an East Indiamen where she was sized as a reprisal. Then a seamen being drunk mentioned that they had captured a Darian ship and had murdered her captain and entire crew in the Far East. It just so happened that a Darian Ship was overdue called the “ Speedy Return” and the two stories merged into one. The reason for the delay was because this English crew had murdered the crew of the “Speedy Return” A report was sent to the Privy Council and the crew were charged with Piracy and murder. Captain Green and thirteen of his crew were arrested. Needless to say there was no evidence against the crew and the trial was a farce. However the Scot’s hatred for the English had been inflamed to such an extant that nobody took a blind bit of notice of a little thing called evidence and the Captain and Crew were condemned to death. However there was reluctance on the part of the Privy Council to enforce the Judgement because an execution under such dubious circumstances could have led to the end of the idea of Union with England or worse, open war.
On the day of the execution mobs gathered in the streets of Edinburgh and Leith wanting revenge foe the Glencoe massacre and the failure of the English to help the survivors of Darien. When a false rumours of a reprieve for the prisoners spread, the mob went mad with rage and attacked any members of the Privy Council that they could find. If they hadn’t been rescued they would have been torn limb from limb. The Council was in an impossible position and had to enforce the judgement but it was decided only Captain Green, the first mate called Madder and Simpson the Gunner would hang.
When they were brought out of the Old Tolbooth of Edinburgh the crowds were huge and heaving and the condemned had to walk escorted by the town guard the full length of the High Street through this screaming and hysterical mob full of hate. From the foot of the Canongate they were escorted by a body of Horse Guards and taken to Leith and before a crowd of thousands they were hanged.
A few months later the “Speedy Return” arrived back from the Far East with the news Captain Drummond who was supposed to have been murdered had settled in India.
In the visitors waiting room of Register house can been seen the Death entry made into the Old Parish Record for Captain Green and his Crew who were hanged in Leith that day. The rest of the crew were sent free. This was one of the greatest miscarriages of Justice in Scottish Legal History and gives an indication to the dangers of unbridled Nationalism and the hatred it can create against the outsider. A lesson that we all should and can learn.
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