deacon brodie
The real story behind Edinburgh's most enduring legend
John Law Tobacco store Robbery
8 December 1786
The Exchange, just off the Royal Mile, in Edinburgh where a number of Deacon Brodie's burglaries occurred and the location of John Law's tobacco store. (October 2017)
Roughead's The Trial of Deacon Brodie describes the robbery of John Law's tobacco store in Edinburgh's exchange as:
On 8th December, we read that " the shop of John Law, tobacconist in the Exchange, was broken into, and a cannister containing between ten and twelve pounds of money carried off." This robbery, though not confessed to by Smith, was probably committed by him and Brodie.
Deacon Brodie's Crime Spree
- 9 October 1786: Goldsmith James Wemyss' shop.
- Late November to early December 1786: Davidson McKain's hardware store was cased and robbed.
- Deacon Brodie's Next Crime: 24 December 1786: John and Andrew Bruce's hardware store.
- 16 August 1787: John Carnegie's grocery store.
- 29 October 1787: Edinburgh University's silver mace.
- Christmas season 1787: John Tapp's house.
- 8 January 1788: Inglis and Horner silk merchant shop.
- 5 March 1788: Edinburgh's Excise Office.
- Planned future crimes.
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