343:
206:
198:
22:
253:
395:, in which a modern detective criticises versions of historical events created to serve political agendas. Following Mark Napier, Tey portrays the death of Wilson as a myth, referring to the existence of the reprieve, held by the Scottish Privy Council "to this day". She claims that "the original collector of the material, canvassing the Wigtown district only forty years after the supposed martyrdom and at the height of the Presbyterian triumph, complains that 'many deny that this happened'; and couldn't find any eyewitnesses at all". In fact, Robert Wodrow, the original collector of the material published in
269:
261:
85:
140:. Her parents were dutiful Episcopalians, but her older brothers were Covenanters. By 1684 Covenanters were hiding from the authorities in the hills, and increasingly draconian action had ended the large conventicles. There were still small gatherings held indoors, but now failure to take a test of allegiance to the king, which required renouncing the Covenant, met with the death penalty, as did even attending a
276:
Twenty years after the date of the execution, Kirkinner and
Penninghame Kirk Session prepared two accounts that drew on stories collected from individuals who claimed to have witnessed the events: McLachlan's daughter's own account about the drowning of her mother was employed, and the records of the
317:
and other documents not previously in print. Its publication led to a small storm of controversy about the supposed drowning of the "Wigtown
Martyrs". Napier raised doubts as to whether the executions as depicted ever took place, and critiqued the writings of Robert Wodrow and his defenders. Napier
160:
to visit friends, including an elderly widow
Margaret McLachlan (there are various spellings of her second name). The young sisters Margaret and Agnes were taken prisoner, possibly after declining to drink the King's health, and put into the "thieves' hole". They refused to take the Abjuration Oath
399:
36 years after the event, wrote that "our jacobites have the impudence, some of them to deny, and others to extenuate this matter of fact which can be fully evinced by many living witnesses." Kirk
Session records written out twenty years after the events provide detailed accounts compiled from the
213:
A reprieve was granted for
Margaret Wilson and Margaret McLachlan. It stated, "The Lords of his Majesties Privy Council doe hereby reprove the execution of the sentence of death pronounced by the Justices against Margret Wilson and Margret Lauchlison until the ..... day of ..... and discharges the
168:
On 13 April 1685 they were indicted as being guilty of the
Rebellion of Bothwell Bridge, Aird's Moss, 20 Field Conventicles and 20 House Conventicles. The Assizes session took place and a guilty verdict was brought. The three main protagonists were found guilty on all charges, and sentenced to be
295:
had decided in the year of the attempted
Jacobite invasion, 1708, to collect accounts of persecution under the Stuart monarchs, and commissioned Wodrow to take on the research. He wrote that Thomas Wilson "lives now in his father's room, and is ready to attest all I am writing." The account was
214:
magistrats of
Edinburgh for putting of the said sentence to execution against them until the forsaid day; and recommends the saids Margret Wilson and Margret Lauchlison to the "Lords Secretaries of State" to interpose with his most sacred Majestie for his Royall remission to them."
647:
342:
221:, brother-in-law of Queensberry, nevertheless chose to do so. G. F. Crosbie writes that "over-zeal was no crime in 1685 – the year when Lag received his baronetcy in the pitiless James's coronation honour's list."
144:
or harbouring
Covenanters. Despite the risks, Margaret began attending conventicles with her younger brother Thomas, possibly beginning when there was an opportunity at a local conventicle to see the charismatic
161:
renouncing the
Covenant. On the following Sunday Margaret McLachlan was arrested, and also put into the "thieves' hole" with the Wilson girls, along with a servant woman. They were taken before the "local
228:. Just prior to her death, Margaret Wilson was permitted to pray for the King, but she would not renounce the covenant. This did not satisfy her accusers. Onlookers reported that she quoted from the
217:
Urging that Margaret Wilson and Margaret McLachlan were officially reprieved by the Privy Council of Scotland, Mark Napier insisted that its agents should not have dared flout the Council's decree.
484:
Shearer's Stirling : historical and descriptive, with extracts from Burgh records and Exchequer Roll volumes, 1264 to 1529, view of Stirling in 1620, and an old plan of Stirling
431:
277:
Penninghame Kirk Session included a statement referring to Wilson's brother Thomas, that he "lives to certifie the truth of these things, with many others who knew them too weel."
240:
later wrote that the killers should have been prosecuted for ignoring the reprieve. Margaret Wilson was buried, together with her friend Margaret McLachlan, in the churchyard of
205:
129:
refused to submit. Barred from their churches, they held open air field assemblies called conventicles which the authorities suppressed using military force.
785:
400:
narratives of individuals who claimed to have witnessed the events. A Victorian statue of Margaret Wilson's martyrdom is on display at Knox College in the
197:
800:
21:
795:
185:
for clemency for all three, presenting a petition which claimed that Margaret McLachlan had recanted. Agnes was granted freedom on a bond of 100
780:
775:
320:
Case for the Crown in re the Wigtown Martyrs proved to be Myths versus Wodrow and Lord Macaulay, Patrick the Pedlar and Principal Tulloch
252:
68:. Wilson became the more famous of the two because of her youth. As a teenager, her faith unto death became celebrated as part of the
156:
In February 1685 the sixteen-year-old Thomas Wilson left to join other Covenanters in the hills. The girls went on a secret visit to
742:
556:(Third Series. Vol. XI. 1685–1686. Acta, February 1685 – December 1685 ed.). Edinburgh: H.M. General Register House. p. 33
770:
314:
218:
296:
published in 1721, and had a considerable effect on public perception despite being attacked by royalists and supporters of the
224:
On 11 May 1685, 11 days after the signing of the reprieve, Margaret Wilson and Margaret McLachlan were chained to stakes on the
268:
805:
169:"tied to palisades fixed in the sand, within the floodmark of the sea, and there to stand till the flood o'erflowed them".
512:
125:
in 1660 the Covenants were declared treasonable and Episcopacy was restored. Particularly in the south-west of Scotland,
790:
109:
came to the fore with signing of the National Covenant of 1638 in opposition to royal control of the church, promoting
26:
33:, depicts Margaret Wilson reading the Bible with her young sister Agnes, watched over by a despairing guardian angel.
482:
146:
118:
297:
182:
657:
551:
382:. The magazine also reproduced the verses describing her death which are inscribed on her grave in Wigtown.
304:
126:
579:
538:
378:
93:
401:
260:
765:
760:
391:
373:
353:
106:
88:
691:
Starkey, A. M. (1974). "Robert Wodrow and the History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland".
432:
The Two Margarets: The Solway Martyrs (Excerpt from Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History)
122:
57:
716:
708:
679:
358:
289:
61:
84:
738:
649:
The History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to the Revolution
700:
550:
Hannay, Robert Kerr; Paton, Henry; Brown, P. Hume; Masson, David; Burton, John Hill (1898).
114:
456:
413:
286:
History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the Restoration to the Revolution
110:
73:
65:
369:
324:
189:, and "reprieves were written out for the two Margarets with a date of 30 April 1685".
133:
426:
754:
720:
643:
386:
309:
281:
237:
628:
Penninghame Session minutes, 1696-1729, Ms CH2/1387/1, National Archive of Scotland
225:
186:
137:
619:
Kirkinner Session minutes, 1702-1714, Ms CH2/228/1, National Archive of Scotland
141:
69:
436:
150:
102:
64:. She died along with Margaret McLachlan. The two Margarets were known as the
41:
178:
53:
209:
The Martyrs' Grave, Wigtown parish church, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
233:
149:
who had newly become leader of the more extreme Covenanters known as the
49:
30:
712:
653:
580:
https://archive.org/stream/ahistorydumfrie00unkngoog#page/n302/mode/2up
539:
https://archive.org/stream/ahistorydumfrie00unkngoog#page/n302/mode/2up
241:
162:
157:
45:
201:
Martyrs' Grave, Wigtown parish church, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
229:
52:
who was executed by drowning for refusing to swear an oath declaring
704:
537:
A History of Dumfries and Galloway. by Sir Herbert Maxwell. p. 282.
117:
governed by bishops appointed by the Crown. The dispute led to the
292:
267:
259:
251:
204:
196:
83:
20:
680:
https://archive.org/stream/cu31924029476003#page/n411/mode/2up
280:
The story of the Wigtown Martyrs was among those collected by
153:. On occasion they also took along their young sister Agnes.
678:
Galloway and the Covenanters. p. 409 Wodrow's narrative.
437:
Video and narration of Cruel Lagg and the Wigtown Martyrs
368:
The death of Margaret Wilson was depicted in 1862 by the
487:. Stirling: R.S. Shearer & Son. 1897. pp. 71–73
165:" of the Government Commissioners for Wigtownshire.
132:
Margaret Wilson was born at Glenvernoch, a farm near
608:
The History and Sufferings of the Church of Scotland
310:
Memorials of Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee
91:' illustration of Wilson's martyrdom, published in
177:The father of the girls, Gilbert Wilson, went to
25:The Wigtown Martyrs Monument commissioned by the
553:The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland
113:as a form of church government instead of an
40:(c. 1667 – 11 May 1685) was a young Scottish
8:
506:
504:
502:
385:The story of Wilson's death is discussed in
121:and the overthrow of the monarchy. With the
318:replied in detail to his objectors in the
638:
636:
634:
590:G. F. Crosbie, "Sir Robert Redgauntlet",
397:The History and Sufferings of the Church
105:movement to maintain the reforms of the
448:
329:(by the Rev. Archibald Stewart), 1870.
602:
600:
7:
511:Elizabeth Robertson (14 June 1997).
376:in an illustration for the magazine
786:17th-century executions by Scotland
16:Scottish Presbyterian executed 1685
576:A History of Dumfries and Galloway
14:
610:, Book III, Chap. XI, pp. 248–9.
341:
327:, in Reply to History Vindicated
801:17th-century Protestant martyrs
513:"Sacrificed to the cruel flood"
313:, 1859–62, included letters of
796:Protestant martyrs of Scotland
303:Scottish lawyer and historian
256:Approach to the Martyrs' Stake
1:
348:Painting of Margaret Wilson,
264:Kirkinner Kirk Session record
781:17th-century Scottish people
416:– fellow Scottish Covenanter
236:and sang until she drowned.
776:People executed by drowning
123:Restoration of the monarchy
822:
119:Wars of the Three Kingdoms
322:, 1863; and once more in
298:Scottish Episcopal Church
272:Martyrs' Memorial Wigtown
183:Privy Council of Scotland
173:Privy Council of Scotland
594:, 1934, 6 January, p. 4.
29:in the Valley Cemetery,
771:Executed Scottish women
658:Blackie and Son Limited
646:; Robert Burns (1836).
181:and made a plea to the
60:of England) as head of
273:
265:
257:
210:
202:
193:Reprieve and execution
98:
34:
806:Scottish evangelicals
574:Sir Herbert Maxwell,
402:University of Toronto
284:and published in his
271:
263:
255:
208:
200:
87:
80:Background and arrest
24:
735:The Daughter of Time
392:The Daughter of Time
374:John Everett Millais
354:John Everett Millais
350:The Martyr of Solway
307:in his three-volume
107:Scottish Reformation
791:People from Wigtown
737:, Arrow Books Ltd,
461:Stirling Smith Blog
660:. pp. 246–249
592:The Glasgow Herald
359:Walker Art Gallery
333:Art and literature
290:Church of Scotland
274:
266:
258:
248:Witness statements
211:
203:
99:
35:
457:"Star of Snowdon"
427:The Two Margarets
813:
745:
733:Tey, J. (2002),
731:
725:
724:
688:
682:
676:
670:
669:
667:
665:
652:(2nd ed.).
640:
629:
626:
620:
617:
611:
604:
595:
588:
582:
572:
566:
565:
563:
561:
547:
541:
535:
529:
528:
526:
524:
508:
497:
496:
494:
492:
479:
473:
472:
470:
468:
463:. 24 August 2018
453:
345:
115:Episcopal polity
821:
820:
816:
815:
814:
812:
811:
810:
751:
750:
749:
748:
732:
728:
705:10.2307/3164924
690:
689:
685:
677:
673:
663:
661:
642:
641:
632:
627:
623:
618:
614:
606:Robert Wodrow,
605:
598:
589:
585:
573:
569:
559:
557:
549:
548:
544:
536:
532:
522:
520:
510:
509:
500:
490:
488:
481:
480:
476:
466:
464:
455:
454:
450:
445:
423:
414:Barbara Gilmour
410:
366:
365:
364:
363:
362:
357:
346:
335:
325:History Rescued
250:
219:Grierson of Lag
195:
175:
111:Presbyterianism
82:
66:Wigtown Martyrs
38:Margaret Wilson
17:
12:
11:
5:
819:
817:
809:
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
773:
768:
763:
753:
752:
747:
746:
726:
699:(4): 488–498.
693:Church History
683:
671:
630:
621:
612:
596:
583:
567:
542:
530:
498:
474:
447:
446:
444:
441:
440:
439:
434:
429:
422:
421:External links
419:
418:
417:
409:
406:
389:'s 1951 novel
370:Pre-Raphaelite
347:
340:
339:
338:
337:
336:
334:
331:
249:
246:
194:
191:
174:
171:
134:Newton Stewart
81:
78:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
818:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
758:
756:
744:
743:0-09-943096-7
740:
736:
730:
727:
722:
718:
714:
710:
706:
702:
698:
694:
687:
684:
681:
675:
672:
659:
655:
651:
650:
645:
644:Robert Wodrow
639:
637:
635:
631:
625:
622:
616:
613:
609:
603:
601:
597:
593:
587:
584:
581:
577:
571:
568:
555:
554:
546:
543:
540:
534:
531:
518:
514:
507:
505:
503:
499:
486:
485:
478:
475:
462:
458:
452:
449:
442:
438:
435:
433:
430:
428:
425:
424:
420:
415:
412:
411:
407:
405:
403:
398:
394:
393:
388:
387:Josephine Tey
383:
381:
380:
375:
371:
360:
355:
351:
344:
332:
330:
328:
326:
321:
316:
312:
311:
306:
301:
299:
294:
291:
287:
283:
282:Robert Wodrow
278:
270:
262:
254:
247:
245:
243:
239:
238:Robert Wodrow
235:
231:
227:
222:
220:
215:
207:
199:
192:
190:
188:
184:
180:
172:
170:
166:
164:
159:
154:
152:
148:
147:James Renwick
143:
139:
135:
130:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
96:
95:
90:
86:
79:
77:
75:
71:
67:
63:
59:
56:of Scotland (
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
32:
28:
23:
19:
734:
729:
696:
692:
686:
674:
662:. Retrieved
648:
624:
615:
607:
591:
586:
575:
570:
558:. Retrieved
552:
545:
533:
521:. Retrieved
516:
489:. Retrieved
483:
477:
465:. Retrieved
460:
451:
396:
390:
384:
377:
367:
361:, Liverpool.
349:
323:
319:
308:
302:
285:
279:
275:
226:Solway Firth
223:
216:
212:
187:Pounds Scots
176:
167:
155:
138:Wigtownshire
131:
100:
92:
74:Presbyterian
37:
36:
18:
766:Covenanters
761:1685 deaths
664:21 December
523:21 December
379:Once A Week
315:Claverhouse
305:Mark Napier
151:Cameronians
142:conventicle
97:, July 1862
94:Once A Week
70:martyrology
755:Categories
578:, p. 282.
517:The Herald
443:References
404:, Canada.
103:Covenanter
76:churches.
62:the church
42:Covenanter
721:161799137
519:. Glasgow
467:25 August
179:Edinburgh
127:ministers
54:James VII
27:Drummonds
560:19 March
408:See also
234:epistles
232:and the
58:James II
50:Scotland
31:Stirling
713:3164924
654:Glasgow
491:24 June
372:artist
356:, 1871.
242:Wigtown
163:assizes
158:Wigtown
89:Millais
46:Wigtown
741:
719:
711:
288:. The
230:psalms
717:S2CID
709:JSTOR
352:, by
293:synod
44:from
739:ISBN
666:2009
562:2019
525:2009
493:2017
469:2018
101:The
701:doi
136:in
72:of
48:in
757::
715:.
707:.
697:43
695:.
656::
633:^
599:^
515:.
501:^
459:.
300:.
244:.
723:.
703::
668:.
564:.
527:.
495:.
471:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
