The last speech and confession of Alexander Peacock, shoemaker in Glasgow, who was executed at Edinburgh, 20th. July 1743, for the cruel and bloody murder of Margaret Marshal his wife.
"I was born at Glasgow, the 3rd of August, in the year 1687, at six in the morning, my father's name was Alexander Peacock Shoemaker there, and my mother's name was Christian Park, daughter to Gabreil Park also shoemaker there; she had two children before me, viz. Gabreil and Ann Peacock, and died there after in Child-bed, and left my father a Widower, and he continued so about six quarters of a year and was again married upon Agnes Park,daughter to Robert Park, whose mother's name was Margaret Thomson, who was a good christian, and I being but young, looked upon her as my mother, knowing no other, but she being angry with me for calling her mother, and offering me some small pence not to do it, I forbear'd to call her so, which much displeased me, and if it had been in my power to do her ill I would have done it. After I grew up, and at 4 years of age, I was put to School (being the Time of Persecution) to one James Boyle, who was a good christian, and who was carried to Edinburgh, in order to be tried for his Life, and never relieved until K William ascended the Throne; when he return'd, I was again put to his School, and he being a religious man, took great pains upon his Scholars, and gave them good Example and Education, and read, or caused to be read to us frequently, when we had been following any Person not in their Judgement, that Scripture 1 Kings, Go thou up bald Head.
From his School, I was put to another Master, one James Taylor, to read and write ,and learn the Rudiments, till such Time I was betwixt 9 and 10 Years old, then I refused to my Father to continue any longer at Schools, but would go into his Trade, and he being a shoemaker and Tanner, I chused the first, in which I continued, and making of Shoes till I was married upon Janet Tennant, Daughter to Allan Tennant a Land -Labourer; and my Father having taken a Tan-House in Glasgow, he made me a Sharer with him, and I joined Stock with John Alison, also a Tanner there, of which he knew but little, till I taught him; in which we continued, and kept up a Trade, and sent to Ireland for Hides, which we tanned until we differed; and thereafter I wrought by myself, and Providence having frowned on me, I betook myself to making shoes only, in which I continued 21 years; my Wife Janet Tennant having lived with me all that time, and bore me 10 children, Four of which died of the Small-Pox in her Time, and six remained with me at her Death; and I was thereafter resolved never to marry again, and continued a Widower for three Years; and God in his Providence having afflicted my Family with Sickness, and none to take care of them but myself, they having continued under Sickness, from the 22nd April, to the 22nd. July, which prompted me again to marry, and having fallen in with one Margaret Cumming, and married her, and she had only one son to me, she lived with me betwixt 8 and 9 Years, and she having dealt harshly with my Children of the former marriage, occasioned us to differ some Times; and it came to such a Height, that she left me for some Time, for three or four Times, and came always back again; and the Trades of Glasgow, out of Kindness to me, called me to their Work-House to make shoes; in which Place, (she being tender) died, and I being lying in a Feaver at the Time, when I recovered , I left their House, being only half a Year into it, and went ot my Goodson's till I was quite recovered, and having left my Goodson's House , I took a room with Baillie Leith, a Malt-man, in the New Wynd of Glasgow , where I continued working at my Trade for half a Year; and then removed to a House of my own in the Trongate, still continuing at my Trade, and remained a Widower for two Years, till Margaret Marshall my third Wife, came to my stand to buy Shoes, and said, how comes it to pass that I had left the new Shoe-Market to sell old Shoes?
And having replied to her, that what was not sinful was not shameful, and she bought some Shoes from me, and came to my House, and called for a Drink of Ale, and asked at me for my Wife, and I said she was gone forth; and thereafter she called for another Chopin of Ale, and sat still, and said my Wife staid long out ; and then I confessed to her I was a Widower, she said, So was she; upon which, Archibald Anderson my Neighbour came in,
and drank with us, and said , Alexander, I think you will do worse than cast your clothes together with such an experienced Woman, who will keep your House,and so from that Time it went on, and we were married, and continued married for about 7 Years, and lived pretty comfortably together, tho' I had no Children by her for three half Years. But my youngest Daughter of the first Marriage having married a soldier in Barrel's Regiment, then lying at Glasgow, my Wife and I having been against the Marriage, she being to engage herself in such a moving Life, and I went and called at a Change-house near to Mr. Raes,where she was serving, for them both together,and asked her before Company, If that was the young man she was taken up with,and if she was willing to follow him; which she said she was; and I desired them both,seeing they were resolved that they should gone on after an Order of the Church, and immediately we all went to the clerk and they gave up their names, and were three several Times proclaimed, and married by Mr Craig, one of the Ministers of Glasgow; and Parents being obliged to give their Children something at that Time, according to their Ability, I furnish'd her with Clothing, she having none of her own, being but a young Servant. Immediately after they were married I went to the Entertainment, my Wife not going along with me tho' desired, but in a liitle time she came in a furious manner, and pulled off my Hat and Wig and took it with her,and to pacify her I threw her 7 Shilling out of my Pocket, which she took; but when I came home she gathered the Neighbourhood about her, and made a bawling Noise, and after I patiently submitted to all, I went to Bed composed: After which Time I could never get Peace with her, and she used me so inhumanly that she prevailed with the Neighbourhood to throw me in Prison, where I continued lying upon a cold Floor for the Space of three Days, and upon Application of my Daughter to Deacon John Wyllie, I was liberated: After which she imploy'd the Town-Officers to dog me along the Streets, and when I returned to my own House, and sitting on my Work- stool I took an intrument I used to work with, and stabbed her in the Thigh, and immediately thereafter left my House: But having return'd at Night, desiring Admittance to my own House, and she being drinking with James Elliot, a Tailor and Neighbour, held fast the Door, and bid me be gone for a Murderer; upon which I went to the Fields and lay all Night, and return'd in the Morning and went to Clay slapes to a Cousin of my own, and desired Liberty to lie down on a Bed, which they did, and put me in the Lad's Bed above the Door-head; and I desired Jean Peacock my Cousin to go to Glasgow and see how matters there were with my Wife; upon her Return she said there was nothing but dismal News for me; and that night I return'd to Glasgow and went to one James Main's in the Trongate,
and sat in his House all Night, and hover'd about the Town for two Days;at the End of which I came to Edinburgh, and from thence to Newcastle, and not a Farthing in my Pocket, which obliged me to lie all Night in the Dyke-sides, there being a Seaman with me, call'd George Muirhead. and who had nothing more than I had; and when we arrived at Newcastle, enquiring for my son, I met with William Rutherford, Shoemaker.
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