THE TRIALS AT LARGE OF ROBERT WATT, AND DAVID DOWNIE, FOR HIGH TREASON,: AT THE SESSION OF OYER AND TERMINER, AT EDINBURGH,AUGUST 27, SEPTEMBER 3D, AND SEPTEMBER 5TH, 1794. AT WHICH THEY WERE BOTH FOUND GUILTY, AND SENTENCED TO BE HANGED, DRAWN, AND QUARTERED, ON THE 15TH OF OCTOBER. TAKEN IN SHORT HAND BY AN ENGLISH BARRISTER.

8vo. 88pp. Collated, complete with the half-title, no endpapers. In 19th century institutional binding, rubbed, worn. In fair to good condition. Half-title separated, blind stamped. Title blind and rubber stamped, starting to separate. Final leaf chipped at fore margin (no loss of text), separated. Else quite good, scattered foxing. Ownership initials “K T” stamped to rear pastedown. Watt and Downie were accused of a Scottish Conspiracy to overthrow the constitution of Great Britain in order to create an independent Scotland. They were convicted of the crime of high treason and were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. This was a sensational case which was followed with great interest in the recently liberated former British Colony. Two editions, one in New York (offered here) and another in Philadelphia were printed in 1794. It took the jury 40 minutes to return with a GUILTY verdict and on September 6, 1794, judgment was passed: “The judgment of the Court was, that you Robert Watt, and you, David Downie, be taken from the Bar to the place from whence you came, and from thence to be drawn upon a Hurdle to the place of execution, there to be hanged by the neck, but not till you are dead, for then you are to be taken down, your Hearts to be cut out, and your Bowels burned before your Faces, your Heads and Limbs severed from your bodies and held up to public view, and your bodies shall remain at the disposal of his majesty, and the Lord have mercy on your Souls.” Robert Watt was executed on October 15th, but David Downie was spared from death. He was given a 12-month prison sentence after which he was banished to America. He died on December 25, 1816, in Augusta, Georgia. David Downie’s daughter, Peggy, was President Ronald Reagan’s great, great grandmother. Evans 27815, ESTCW28380.…