A greatly respected member of Edinburgh‘s society, William Brodie (1741-88) was a skilful cabinet-maker and a member of the Town Council as well as deacon (head) of the Incorporation of Wrights and Masons. However, unknown to most gentlefolk, Brodie had a secret night-time occupation as the leader of a gang of burglars. An extra-curricular activity that was necessary to support his extravagant lifestyle which included two mistresses, numerous children and a gambling habit.
To support his night-time activities Brodie had the perfect day job, part of which involved making and repairing security locks and mechanisms. The temptation obviously proved too much for him when working on the locks of his customer’s houses, as he would copy their door-keys! This would allow him and his three accomplices in crime, Brown, Smith and Ainslie, to return at a later date to steal from them at leisure.
Brodie’s last crime and ultimate downfall was an armed raid on His Majesty’s Excise Office in Chessel’s Court, on the Canongate. Although Brodie had planned the burglary himself, things went disastrously wrong. Ainslie and Brown were caught and turned King’s Evidence on the rest of the gang. Brodie escaped to the Netherlands, but was arrested in Amsterdam and returned to Edinburgh for trial.
The trial started on 27 August 1788, however little hard evidence could be found to incriminate Brodie. That was, until a search of his house revealed the tools of his illicit trade. The jury found both Brodie and Smith guilty and their execution was set for 1 October 1788.
Brodie was hanged at the Tolbooth with his accomplice George Smith, the demon grocer. However, Brodie’s story does not quite end there. He had bribed the hangman to ignore a steel collar he was wearing with the hope this would defeat the noose! But despite the arrangement he made to have his body quickly removed following the hanging, he could not be revived.
The final irony was that Brodie was hanged from a gibbet, which he himself had only recently redesigned. He proudly boasted to the crowd that the gallows upon which he was about to die was the most efficient of its kind in existence. Brodie was buried in an unmarked grave at the Parish Church in Buccleuch.
It is said that Brodie’s bizarre double-life inspired Robert Louis Stevenson, whose father had had furniture made by Brodie. Stevenson included aspects of Brodie’s life and character in his story of a split personality, ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde’.
lyrics
The Deacon
Some say I'm a rogue and a scoundrel, with Mistresses two and a wife
By day I'm a gent and a craftsman
Then a gambler and thief of the night, a gambler and thief of the night
I'm known in this town as the Deacon, Brodie's my family name
Serving and robbing the wealthy
Keys by the door, who's to blame, leave their keys by the door who's to blame?
Chorus
Bring em down boys, Brodie's the man, and the excise is waiting this day
Bring em down boys, wait there's treachery here
You sold me away, the King's ransom held sway
And its Me Deacon Brodie who'll pay!
And so I chose well my companions, Andrew Ainslie, George Smith and John Brown
A locksmith, a thief, a shoemaker
And all were well known in the town..all were well known in the town
And I was a cabinet maker, and I entered the houses so grand
Of the rich and the proud of Auld Reekie
To carry out crimes that I'd planned..carry out crimes that I'd planned
Chorus
But there was a twist to my story, George Williamson hot on my trail
So I took my leave of Auld Reekie
And on the endeavour set sail..on the endeavour set sail
Its route went from Flanders to Flushing, and onwards to old Amsterdam
Its there that I made my last journey
Brought home now for trial to stand...brought home now for trial to stand
Chorus
My name I beseech you's John Dixon, let no man around here forswear
For I have no knowledge of Brodie
Or his terrible crimes here declared, his terrible crimes here declared
'Tis a shame that my fate is decided, and the rope be my necklace of death
As I take my place on the gallows
Will you witness the Deacon's last breath? Will you witness the Deacon's last breath?
Chorus
credits
from Tales of Auld Reekie,
released September 14, 2017
Karl Robins guitars and vocals
Sheree Hemingway vocals
Andy Waterhouse vocals
Gary Hetherington instrumentation
Practically a double albums worth of excellent well written folk songs for the price of a pint of beer. Robins is perhaps the brighter side of Ralph McTell when it comes to how he writes and delivers his truly great songs. Here is accompanied by Carry who adds his magic with Karl and provides the right instrumentation to add even more of that folky goodness to it all.The album also comes with an excellent production and your getting 100% more for the buck here. Comes with my 100% recommendation. Lee Lucas
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