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The Gallowlee halfway between Edinburgh and Leith and near present-day Shrub Place was a well-known and famous place. An old “Leith Chronicle of Tales and Traditions” relates: “During the turbulent times of Morton’s regency (in the 16th century), Gallowlee had a rather undue share of notoriety.

According to Captain Grant, while Morton hung his prisoners in their fifties on a gigantic gallows at Gallowlee, halfway between Leith and Edinburgh, the Loyalists displayed an equal number on a gallows that loomed in hideous silhouette on Castle Hill, in sight of the regents’ camp. .

(This was during the period after Mary Queen of Scots fled to England in 1568 and civil war broke out in Scotland between supporters of Mary Queen of Scots and supporters of her son James VI, who with the time became James I of England Morton was one of the Regents of Scotland)

The gallows at Gallowlee was occasionally used for the purpose of displaying the effigies of people who had somehow become hateful to the populace. For example, when the celebrated John Wilkes in 1763 published the memorable 45th issue of his newspaper titled North Briton, the bitter satire with which he indulged Scotland and the Scots greatly offended the North and a famous Edinburgh mob leader, named “Leaning Joseph” procured a cart fitted with a tall gallows from which hung a straw-stuffed figure meant to represent Scotland’s archenemy with the devil perched on his shoulder.

The cart with its curious cargo was leisurely strolled through the main streets until it reached Gallowlee where at that moment two criminals hung in chains and with these Wilkes and his companion the devil rose amid the enthusiastic applause of the crowd. The authorities offered no opposition to the proceedings for two reasons: they fully participated in the feelings of anger harbored towards Wilkes, and they were in no position to oppose the will of an independent leader such as “Bowed Joseph”. The magistrates on many occasions displayed an embarrassing timidity unbecoming of his position and frequently sent for the “leaning” leader to consult him on how best to disperse and appease a troublesome mob. On such occasions he always zealously defended the people against him and his audacity generally forced the weak authorities to comply with the terms he dictated. These interviews usually ended with him being authorized to promise a reform of the evils of which they complained and also to distribute among his followers a barrel of good beer. The promise and the libation never failed and the popular favorite had no difficulty in clearing the streets with the simple order “Now scatter my boys.”

According to that excellent authority, Robert Chambers, this director of the mob must have been a formidable person “After having figured for some years as an active supporter of the people, his name so grew with him that it is said that he could in the course of an hour mustering a crowd of no less than ten thousand people all ready to obey his commands or disperse at his bidding “he mustered his forces by beating a drum and strode on” throwing out his noisy call every alley and alley poured his dirty townspeople to inflate their train “Inclined Joseph” was finally killed by a fall from the top of a Leith stage while returning from the races in the Leith arenas in a drunken state about the year 1780. In the “Edinburgh Traditions “An interesting account of this singular character can be found.

The fine sand of which the Gallowlee mound was composed was transported to be mixed with the lime used in the construction of Edinburgh’s New Town. The place once known as the dreaded Gallowlee is now or recently occupied as a marble work. But mostly because of the Thomas Methven and Sons nursery. The owner of the land at the time mentioned, according to Mr. Chambers, was about as much sand bed as his property. He was a large man and one of those people on whom drink never seemed to have much of an effect. It is said that every day, while the carts were taking away the sand, he would regularly stop at the spot receiving money in return, which was immediately turned into liquor and applied to the well-being of the inner man.

Eventually a public house was erected on the spot for his private benefit, and surely while Gallowlee lasted this public house did not want his clientele. It should be noted, however, that the gallows laird only got out of the sand mound in this way, still holding onto the ground, the grog supply process simply turning it from a sizable eminence into a deep hollow that remains until the end. today as nursery soil.

The Gallowlee and the victims of its gallows are now just matters of history.

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