Maggie Dickson - One drop too few!

Maggie was a popular 18th century fishwife who sold her fish from her creel around the streets of Edinburgh. She lived in Musselburgh and was 18 years old when she fell pregnant.

At the time it was illegal to conceal a pregnancy. She had a miscarriage but did not tell the authorities so it was deemed concealed. She was tried and sentenced to hang.

The gallows was in the Grassmarket opposite the Last Drop pub. This was where the victims could drink their final beer and it also refers to the Drop as in hanging.

Her friends had gained permission to take her body back to Musselburgh, rather than have it buried in a mass grave with the other victims of the justice system. On the way they stopped at the Sheep’s Heid in Duddingston for refreshment.

When they came out, they heard sounds coming from the cart. Maggie had not died. Had this been noticed at the gallows she would have been re-hung, but by this time the judge had signed the death warrant. As it was illegal to hang a dead person, she was allowed to live.

She went on to live a full life, raise a family and run a pub.

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