deacon brodie
The real story behind Edinburgh's most enduring legend
William Brodie's Final letter to Edinburgh's Lord Provost
1 October 1788
This is the last known letter to be written by Deacon William Brodie. For modesty's sake, the current accounts of Deacon Brodie's demise felt that redacting the names of who was to take possession of his mortal remains was necessary. While unconfirmed, the consensus is that Deacon Brodie was buried in the Buccleuch Burial Grounds near the present campus of the University of Edinburgh. Reaching further, the authors of In Search of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde claim Deacon Brodie rests in an unmarked grave between Dr. Alexander Adam and David Herd.
Edinburgh, Tolbooth,
Oct. 1. 1788, Eleven o'clock.
My Lord,
As none of my relations can stand being present at my dissolution, I humbly request that your Lordship will permit___ to attend, it will be some consolation in my last hour; and that your Lordship will please give orders that my body after be delivered to___ [The blanks indicate that Creech redacted the names from his text] and by no means remain in goal; that he and my friends may have it decently dressed and interred. This is the last favour and request of
Your most obedient,
but most unfortunate,
Will. Brodie
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