Throughout History there have been many brutal executions which were terrifying.
But still crowds would flock to see these. From condemned people being thrown to lions and animals
in Ancient Rome, to Henry VIII boiling alive a man who was accused of poisoning,
there have been some sadistic methods of execution used. Henry VIII, the Tudor
King who would even execute two of his wives continued to change the laws of his country to
ensure more death sentences could be given out, and he hanged, drawn and quartered many people.
This is considered one of the most horrifying death sentences in history,
as it had a number of steps and the victim could be often alive right until the very end.
But there was an execution that took place in Scotland which can be considered one of the
most horrific executions in the whole of History. The execution of Walter Stewart,
the Earl of Atholl was one which would come straight from a horror film, and it’s so brutal
it’s hard to even believe it took place. Join us today as we look at the most horrific execution
in Scottish history, remember to support our channel, please make sure to subscribe.
Walter Stewart, the Earl of Atholl, Strathearn and Caithness was a Scottish nobleman who was
also the son of Robert II the King of Scotland. He was also the younger brother of Robert III,
the successor and he was an uncle of the future King James I. He was a prince in a sense,
and in his life he married Margaret Barclay the Lady of Brechin and he had two sons.
He was in 1404 created the Earl of Atholl. However during the reign of his nephew James I,
the King was captured and was taken to England being held in captivity.
He was held in the Tower of London and also Windsor Castle, but Walter tried and campaigned
to have James I released and returned to Scotland. He managed to accomplish this in 1424,
and he was then a close advisor and member of the royal court. He was part of the jury that tried
his half nephew, and then was responsible for the execution of his nephew and two of his sons.
But Walter Stewart then became the Great Justiciar of Scotland, and was named the Earl of Strathearn.
It’s not known for certain how loyal Walter was to King James I. Some historians claimed that
Walter’s plan to rescue James I was actually an attempt to cause a civil war between the
two branches of the House of Stuart, the Scottish ruling family. He believed these two sides of the
family would destroy each other, and then with this he wanted to claim the throne for himself,
based upon reviving a claim that his half brother Robert III had to the throne.
However at some point Walter Stewart turned against the King, and it’s believed that the
death of his son may have led to this. Stewart became incensenly angry against the King and he
then joined his grandson Robert Stewart and Sir Robert Graham in a plot against James I.
In the evening of the 20th February 1437, James I and his Queen were in
their rooms in the Blackfriars Monastery. They were seperated from their servants,
and Walter’s grandson and heir Robert Stewart, the King’s chamberlain allowed the co-conspirators,
around 30 people led by Robert Graham into the building. James I the King knew the presence of
the men, but the King then tried to hide in a sewer tunnel, but the exit was blocked off and
with this James I was trapped and was murdered in cold blood. Other accounts say that the King
hid under the floorboards, and that he was then lifted out of these by the assassins, and that
Sir Robert Graham was the man who murdered the King, stabbing him with a dagger or a sword.
In the wake of the King’s death, Walter Stewart found little support for his cause,
and after the murder the conspirators were quickly rounded up. They were not subjected to a trial,
and Walter Stewart was also arrested. He was sentenced to death by an act of attainder, meaning
no trial was needed and that he was to be killed for his involvement in the regicide of the King.
However the execution of Walter Stuart, the Earl of Atholl has to be one of the most horrific and
brutal, as it took place over 3 days, and his execution was a long and slow drawn out process.
In Edinburgh, he was brought to be killed, and he was subjected to horrific torture even for
the 14th century. Walter on the first day was placed in a cart with a crane on it,
and he was then hoisted up and dropped, and his joints were stretched when he violently dropped.
He was then placed in the pillory and on his head was placed a crown of burning iron, which had
the inscription ‘King of all the traitors,’ mocking him almost like a crown of thorns.
He was then on the second day tired to a hurdle, and he was then dragged through
the high street of Edinburgh in front of a crowd. Some sources say he was also blinded
and tortured with red hot iron pincers on the second day. But on the third day,
he was then cut open and disembowlled whilst he was still alive, and his entrails were taken out.
These were then burned in front of him, and his heart was the cut out and this was then burned.
After this, his corpse was then beheaded and was quartered, and the remains of him were
then displayed around Scotland telling people to not dare to become involved in acts of regicide.
One account of the executions states, ‘And his death declar’d that there is nothing more popular
than justice, for they who were wont to detract from him whilst he was alive, now he as dead
had most flagrant desires after him, insomuch that the Nobles, as soon as they heard he was murder’d,
came in of their own accord from their respective countries and before a tryal was appointed they
voluntarily sent out into all parts to apprehend the murderers and bring them to justice.
Very many of them were taken. The principal of them was put to new and exquisite kinds of death.
The rest were hang’d. The chief heads in perpetrating the wickedness were reckon’d
to be Walter Earl of Athole, Robert his nephew by his son, and their kinsman Robert Graham.
The punishment of Walter (because he was the chief
author and instigator of the whole plot) was divided into three days suffering.
In the 1st he was put on a cart wherein a stork-like swipe [crane] or engine was erected,
and by ropes let through pullies was hoisted up on high and then, the ropes being suddainly loos’d,
he was let down again almost to the ground with grievous pains by reason of the luxation
[stretching] of the joints of his body. Then he was set on a pillory that all might see him,
and a red-hot iron crown set on his head with this inscription, that he should be called King of all
Traitors. They say the cause of this punishment was that Walter had been sometimes told by some
female witches (as Athole was always noted to have such) that he should be crown’d king in a
mighty concourse of people. For by this means that prophecy was either fulfill’d or eluded,
as indeed such kind of predictions do commonly meet with no other events.
The day after, he was bound upon a hurdle and drawn at an horse-tail thro’ the greatest street
in Edinburgh. The 3rd day he was laid along upon a plank in a conspicuous place and his bowels were
cut out whilst he was alive, cast into the fire, and burnt before his face. Afterwards his heart
was pulled out and cast into the same fire. Then his head was cut off and expos’d to the
view of all, being set upon a poll in the highest place of the city. His body was divided into four
quarters and sent to be hang’d up in the most noted places of the best cities of the kingdom.
After him, his nephew was brought forth to suffer, but because of his age they would not put him
to so much pain; and besides, he was not the author, but only an accomplice in another man’s
wicked design, as having obey’d his grandfather therein, so that he was only hang’d and quarter’d.
Walter Stewart today is a forgotten figure in history, but he was a man who was around 67 when
he died, and he was a schemer who turned on the King of Scotland James I who was also his nephew.
It’s believed that he had motivation to become the King himself,
and to seize power but ultimately he was executed in a terrifying and brutal way,
being subjected to a 3 day long ordeal in which his execution has to be one
of the most harrowing in History. It was prolonged suffering and immense brutality.
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