Post by LLady on Jul 7, 2005 21:59:11 GMT 10
If you look at the paving stones on the southeast corner of the junction of Edinburgh's High Street and George IV Bridge, you will see three brass blocks set into the stonework in the shape of an "H". The blocks mark the spot where, on June 21, 1864, Edinburgh's last public Hanging took place. The man on the gallows was 30 year old George Bryce.
Bryce had been sentenced to death for the murder of Jeanie Seaton, a 23 year old nursemaid who worked at a large house in Ratho. The house was owned by Mr & Mrs Tod, who also employed a cook named Isabella Brown.
Two years earlier, Jeanie and Isabella had attended a dance in the village where they met Bryce, who was working as a carter for his father's coal business. Bryce struck up a relationship with Isabella, whom he began to see socially as well as when he delivered coal to the Tod's house.
On Isabella's part, at least, the dalliance appeared a casual one because Jeanie was present just about every time they met. Indeed, Jeanie again made up a threesome when Isabella, Bryce and she went on an outing to Edinburgh on March 10, 1864. At some point, Bryce began drinking. This upset Isabella and she decided not to continue the relationship.
Soon after this outing, Bryce proposed marriage and Isabella refused. Bryce blamed Jeanie for Isabella's change of feelings. According to him, Jeanie had told her friend that Bryce was a drunken blackguard.
In the course of the next few weeks, Bryce called on Isabella several times, and on each occasion he became more convinced that the cook's coolness toward him was a result of Jeanie's influence.
On Wednesday, April 13, Isabella was asleep in her room when her windowpane broke, awakening her. The next day she confronted Bryce. "Was it you who broke the window last night?" Bryce replied, "No, I knocked my head through it."
The following Saturday, April 16, Bryce snapped completely. He arrived at the Tod's house a little after 7 pm. and found Isabella in the cellar. "Where's Jeanie?" he demanded, his face contorted in a rage. Isabella's eyes darted in the direction of the nursery.
As Bryce rushed past, Isabella attempted to stop him by grabbing his coat, but he escaped her grasp. She ran after him and reached the nursery in time to see him seize Jeanie, throw her to the ground and grab her by the throat. Isabella's screams alerted Mrs. Tod in the main bedroom. Mr. Tod was not at home.
Rushing downstairs, Mrs. Tod entered the nursery and saw Bryce rain blows on Jeanie's head. Mrs. Tod shouted at him to stop but he continued, apparently oblivious to her presence. After sending Isabella to run for help, Mrs. Tod grabbed an umbrella from a stand in the hallway. Striking Bryce several times, she loosened his grip. Jeanie freed herself, staggered to her feet and flew from the house. Mrs. Tod now had Bryce by the arm, but he wrenched himself free. He followed Jeanie and eventually cornered her near a neighbors byre. The tenant, Mrs Binnie, heard Jeanie calling her name and, when she went to investigate, came upon a scene of absolute horror. As she later told the court, "I went out of the byre, and saw Jeanie lying on the ground at the end of my house. Bryce had his knee upon her shoulder, and was holding her by the throat. I went to the west end of the byres to get help. I saw a woman and called her to come...I then went back and saw Bryce rising up with a razor in his hand. I looked at Jeanie, and saw blood running from her throat. She was lying on the ground. I went into my house and got a bed made, and then Jeanie was carried in...she died in about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after she was taken into the house."
Bryce, who fled the scene, was immediately pursued. A constable, Peter Milne, and a quarryman from the village found him some time later, about a mile west of Ratho. Constable Milne took Bryce into custody and said, "George, you've cut a woman's neck." Bryce was silent for a minute, then contemptuously replied, "She's cheap o' what she got."
Bryce's trial took place on May 31. He was found guilty. At 8:40am on Tuesday, June 21 1864 he was taken from High Street jail to Libberton Wynd where a scaffold had been erected. Large crowds had lined the route from an early hour, prompting owners of nearby taverns to open for business. A local newspaper reported that, "Many were the stray customers that were tempted hurriedly to avail themselves on the stale commodities of these establishments."
At a little before 9:00, Bryce was ushered up the steps to the plaform and a white hood placed over his head. A huge gasp came from the crowd as the trapdoor opened and the body dropped. Finally Bryce had paid for the terrible act of revenge he'd wrought for Jeanie Seaton's insignificant slight.
Yet in a twist of irony, Jeanie's employer revealed at the trial that Bryce had been completely mistaken. According to Mrs. Tod's account, "I spoke to Jeanie about the notion that she had called him a drunken blackguard. I told her she need not be afraid because, if he said a word to her, she had only to tell me, and Mr. Tod would put a stop to it. She gave a little smile and said 'The strange thing is, I never said such a thing....''''
Robert B. McNeill
Bryce had been sentenced to death for the murder of Jeanie Seaton, a 23 year old nursemaid who worked at a large house in Ratho. The house was owned by Mr & Mrs Tod, who also employed a cook named Isabella Brown.
Two years earlier, Jeanie and Isabella had attended a dance in the village where they met Bryce, who was working as a carter for his father's coal business. Bryce struck up a relationship with Isabella, whom he began to see socially as well as when he delivered coal to the Tod's house.
On Isabella's part, at least, the dalliance appeared a casual one because Jeanie was present just about every time they met. Indeed, Jeanie again made up a threesome when Isabella, Bryce and she went on an outing to Edinburgh on March 10, 1864. At some point, Bryce began drinking. This upset Isabella and she decided not to continue the relationship.
Soon after this outing, Bryce proposed marriage and Isabella refused. Bryce blamed Jeanie for Isabella's change of feelings. According to him, Jeanie had told her friend that Bryce was a drunken blackguard.
In the course of the next few weeks, Bryce called on Isabella several times, and on each occasion he became more convinced that the cook's coolness toward him was a result of Jeanie's influence.
On Wednesday, April 13, Isabella was asleep in her room when her windowpane broke, awakening her. The next day she confronted Bryce. "Was it you who broke the window last night?" Bryce replied, "No, I knocked my head through it."
The following Saturday, April 16, Bryce snapped completely. He arrived at the Tod's house a little after 7 pm. and found Isabella in the cellar. "Where's Jeanie?" he demanded, his face contorted in a rage. Isabella's eyes darted in the direction of the nursery.
As Bryce rushed past, Isabella attempted to stop him by grabbing his coat, but he escaped her grasp. She ran after him and reached the nursery in time to see him seize Jeanie, throw her to the ground and grab her by the throat. Isabella's screams alerted Mrs. Tod in the main bedroom. Mr. Tod was not at home.
Rushing downstairs, Mrs. Tod entered the nursery and saw Bryce rain blows on Jeanie's head. Mrs. Tod shouted at him to stop but he continued, apparently oblivious to her presence. After sending Isabella to run for help, Mrs. Tod grabbed an umbrella from a stand in the hallway. Striking Bryce several times, she loosened his grip. Jeanie freed herself, staggered to her feet and flew from the house. Mrs. Tod now had Bryce by the arm, but he wrenched himself free. He followed Jeanie and eventually cornered her near a neighbors byre. The tenant, Mrs Binnie, heard Jeanie calling her name and, when she went to investigate, came upon a scene of absolute horror. As she later told the court, "I went out of the byre, and saw Jeanie lying on the ground at the end of my house. Bryce had his knee upon her shoulder, and was holding her by the throat. I went to the west end of the byres to get help. I saw a woman and called her to come...I then went back and saw Bryce rising up with a razor in his hand. I looked at Jeanie, and saw blood running from her throat. She was lying on the ground. I went into my house and got a bed made, and then Jeanie was carried in...she died in about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after she was taken into the house."
Bryce, who fled the scene, was immediately pursued. A constable, Peter Milne, and a quarryman from the village found him some time later, about a mile west of Ratho. Constable Milne took Bryce into custody and said, "George, you've cut a woman's neck." Bryce was silent for a minute, then contemptuously replied, "She's cheap o' what she got."
Bryce's trial took place on May 31. He was found guilty. At 8:40am on Tuesday, June 21 1864 he was taken from High Street jail to Libberton Wynd where a scaffold had been erected. Large crowds had lined the route from an early hour, prompting owners of nearby taverns to open for business. A local newspaper reported that, "Many were the stray customers that were tempted hurriedly to avail themselves on the stale commodities of these establishments."
At a little before 9:00, Bryce was ushered up the steps to the plaform and a white hood placed over his head. A huge gasp came from the crowd as the trapdoor opened and the body dropped. Finally Bryce had paid for the terrible act of revenge he'd wrought for Jeanie Seaton's insignificant slight.
Yet in a twist of irony, Jeanie's employer revealed at the trial that Bryce had been completely mistaken. According to Mrs. Tod's account, "I spoke to Jeanie about the notion that she had called him a drunken blackguard. I told her she need not be afraid because, if he said a word to her, she had only to tell me, and Mr. Tod would put a stop to it. She gave a little smile and said 'The strange thing is, I never said such a thing....''''
Robert B. McNeill
