Welcome back to "This Day in Scottish History." I'm your host, Colin MacDonald. Today, we delve into a tale of betrayal, double lives, and the thin veneer of respectability. On August 27, 1788, the trial began in Edinburgh of Deacon William Brodie, a man whose life story has enthralled generations. By day, he was a trusted tradesman and pillar of society. By night, he was the cunning leader of a gang of thieves.

William Brodie, born in 1741, came from a respected Edinburgh family. His father was a successful cabinetmaker, and young William inherited not only the family business but also the prestige that came with it. Known as "Deacon Brodie" due to his role as the deacon of the Incorporation of Wrights—a powerful guild of craftsmen—he moved effortlessly among the city’s elite. His skill as a locksmith and carpenter earned him work in the homes of Edinburgh’s wealthiest citizens, who trusted him implicitly. But Brodie had a darker side, one he carefully concealed from the world.

Despite his outward respectability, Brodie harbored secret vices. He was a compulsive gambler, losing enormous sums at cards and dice. This addiction drove him into financial ruin and into a desperate bid to sustain his double life. Brodie turned to crime, using his insider knowledge as a tradesman to orchestrate burglaries and thefts. When installing locks in the homes and businesses of Edinburgh’s upper class, he would make wax impressions of the keys. These duplicates gave him and his gang access to Edinburgh’s most secure properties.

For years, Brodie’s double life went undetected. His charm and standing in society shielded him from suspicion, even as burglaries in Edinburgh became alarmingly frequent. He maintained his façade of respectability, attending council meetings, dining with dignitaries, and managing his business. However, Brodie's criminal activities began to unravel in 1786, when a heist at the Excise Office—a government building housing substantial cash reserves—went disastrously wrong. The gang botched the job, leaving behind clues that pointed investigators toward Brodie's associates.

Brodie’s downfall was swift. One of his accomplices, George Smith, turned informer, providing damning evidence of Brodie's leadership in the gang. This betrayal forced Brodie to flee Edinburgh, first to London and then to Amsterdam, where he hoped to start a new life. But his luck ran out when he was apprehended in the Netherlands and extradited to Scotland to face justice.

On August 27, 1788, Deacon Brodie stood trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. The proceedings captivated the city. Crowds gathered outside the courthouse, eager for news of the man whose duplicity had scandalized the nation. Inside, the evidence against him was overwhelming. Tools of his trade, including key molds, were found in his possession, along with stolen goods. Witnesses, including his former accomplices, testified to his role as the mastermind behind the robberies. Brodie defended himself with wit and eloquence, but his arguments could not outweigh the mountain of evidence against him.

The trial ended with a guilty verdict, and Brodie was sentenced to death by hanging. On October 1, 1788, he met his fate on the gallows at Edinburgh’s Tolbooth. Adding to the irony of his story, legend has it that Brodie had once contributed to the design of the very gallows used for his execution. In a final act of defiance, he reportedly wore his finest clothes to the scaffold, maintaining his dignified demeanor to the end.

Deacon Brodie’s story endures as one of Scotland’s most fascinating cautionary tales. His double life—upstanding citizen by day, criminal by night—captured the imagination of writers and historians. It is widely believed that his life inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stevenson, a native of Edinburgh, grew up hearing tales of Brodie’s exploits, and the tension between good and evil in Brodie’s character became the foundation for his literary masterpiece.

Even today, Edinburgh remembers Deacon Brodie. The Royal Mile is home to Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, a pub bearing his name and likeness. Tour guides recount his story as they lead visitors through the city’s narrow closes and shadowy wynds, many of which Brodie would have known intimately. His tale remains a vivid reminder of how the masks we wear can hide our true selves and of the precarious balance between respectability and infamy.

Thank you for joining me today on "This Day in Scottish History." From the bustling streets of 18th-century Edinburgh to the timeless pages of literature, the story of Deacon Brodie continues to intrigue and inspire. Join us tomorrow for another journey through Scotland’s rich and colorful past. Until then, I’m Colin MacDonald, Haste Ye Back!

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