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1 Captain John Porteous and the Edinburgh Riots (d 1736)
As Captain of the City Guard of Edinburgh, Captain John Porteous was charged with keeping the peace and when, in April 1736, two convicted smugglers were due to be publicly hanged, the public outcry 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 Captain Porteous to call out the entire guard and to furnish them with powder and shot.
After the execution the mob became violent, and Captain Porteous instructed his men to fire into the crowd, killing three people and wounding twelve others. For this offence, Porteous himself was eventually tried in the High Court of Justiciary and found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
Although later granted a Royal Pardon, Captain Porteous was dragged out to be cruelly tortured and lynched at the hands of an angry mob. The spot where he died is today marked by a memorial plate in the Grassmarket.
John Porteous had been an early exponent of the game of golf. It is recorded that in 1724Events January 14 King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne February 20 The premiere of Giulio Cesare an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, takes place in London June 23 Treaty of Constantinople signed. Partitioned Persia between the Ottoman Empir "A solemn match of golf" between Alexander Elphinstone and John Porteous became the first match reported in a newspaperBrookgreen Gardens Pawleys Island, South Carolina A newspaper is a lightweight and disposable publication, usually printed on low-cost paper called newsprint, containing a journal of current news in a variety of topics. These topics can include political.
A detailed account of the so-called Porteous Riots of 1736 is given by Sir Walter Scott in his novel The Heart of Midlothian ( 18181818 is a common year starting on Thursday. Events February 12 Chile gains its independence from Spain March 11 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is published March 22 Easter Sunday falls on its earliest possible date. The next time Easter will fall this early:).
1 See also
- Porteous familyThe Porteous family are an ancient Scottish Borders family. The earliest records for members of the Porteous family in Peeblesshire date back to the early part of the fifteenth century. The earliest possible reference, according to Lord Lyon King of Arms
- Timeline_of_golf_history_1353-1850The following is a partial timeline of the history of golf 1353 The first recorded reference to chole, the probable antecedent of golf. It is a derivative of hockey played in Flanders (Belgium). 1421 A Scottish regiment aiding the French against the Engli
Riots
