Scottish Maiden (guillotine-like device)
E303754
The Scottish Maiden was an early guillotine-style beheading machine used in Scotland from the 16th century, notably associated with the execution of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Scottish Maiden (guillotine-like device) canonical | 1 |
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
beheading machine
ⓘ
execution device ⓘ guillotine-like device ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
the Maiden
ⓘ
surface form:
The Maiden
|
| appliesToJurisdiction | Scottish criminal law (early modern period) ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Old Tolbooth prison in Edinburgh
ⓘ
surface form:
Edinburgh Tolbooth (as execution site)
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton ⓘ |
| bladeShape | angled metal blade ⓘ |
| category |
Execution equipment
ⓘ
History of capital punishment in Scotland ⓘ Scottish legal history ⓘ |
| country | Kingdom of Scotland ⓘ |
| culturalSignificance | symbol of early Scottish mechanized execution ⓘ |
| designedFor | standardized method of beheading ⓘ |
| executionMethod | decapitation ⓘ |
| executionType | mechanical execution ⓘ |
| followedBy | later adoption of guillotine-style devices elsewhere ⓘ |
| hasEffect | instantaneous decapitation of condemned person ⓘ |
| hasPart |
block for the neck
ⓘ
crossbeam ⓘ grooved uprights ⓘ platform ⓘ sliding blade ⓘ wooden frame ⓘ |
| historicalPeriod | Early Modern Scotland ⓘ |
| inception | 16th century ⓘ |
| languageOfName | English ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Edinburgh
ⓘ
surface form:
Edinburgh (original historical use)
|
| materialUsed |
metal
ⓘ
wood ⓘ |
| movementMechanism | gravity-powered falling blade ⓘ |
| notableEvent | execution of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton in 1581 ⓘ |
| notableUse | execution of James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton ⓘ |
| operator | Scottish civic authorities ⓘ |
| partOf | Scottish penal system (16th–18th centuries) ⓘ |
| powerSource | gravity ⓘ |
| preceded | manual beheading by axe ⓘ |
| publicDisplay | yes ⓘ |
| requires | condemned person secured at neck ⓘ |
| similarTo |
Halifax Gibbet
ⓘ
guillotine ⓘ |
| transportability | relatively portable wooden structure ⓘ |
| usedFor |
capital punishment
ⓘ
execution of criminals ⓘ public executions ⓘ |
| usedIn | Scotland ⓘ |
| usedUntil | 18th century ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.