deacon brodie
The real story behind Edinburgh's most enduring legend
People in Deacon Brodie's life
There is a dizzing array of people that touch on Deacon Brodie’s life and story. So many, in fact, we found it useful to create a list of these people and their relation to Brodie. As we expand our research, we will be adding in-depth articles about some of the more noteworthy individuals on this list. If a person’s name is in red, click on that link and it will take you to their article. Some of the full information about a person is unknown to us at this time. Those instances have been noted in the text. If you would like to contribute an article to this section, please email us. We will, of course, give you the appropriate credit and links to your website or social media. This section is ever expanding, so come back and see what we've added. Entries are in alphabetical order sorted by last name. Click on the appropriate letter to take you to that section.
Robert Allan: An Edinburgh banker selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Andrew Anslie: A member of William Brodie’s gang who was listed on court documents as a "sometimes shoemaker." He received a King's Pardon for testifying against Deacon Brodie and George Smith.
John Bacon: An Ostend vintner whom Captain John Dent recommended to William Brodie.
Elphingston Balfour: An Edinburgh bookseller selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
John Balfour: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize). Balfour was unable to serve on the jury due to illness.
Unknown male first name Balmano: Is written about by William Brodie on 10 April 1788. Apparently, Balmano owed one pound to Brodie and wished Michael Henderson to collect the debt while Brodie was in Amsterdam.
Janet Baxter: Servant to Adam Pearson, an Assistant Secretary at the Excise Office, who testified against Deacon Brodie and George Smith.
John Black, John: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Francis Blair: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Andrew Bonar: An Edinburgh banker selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
James Bonar: The Deputy Solicitor of the Edinburgh Excise Office who testified against Deacon Brodie and George Smith. Also of note, he was the brother of Andrew Bonor who was in the jury poll for Deacon Brodie and George Smith's trial.
Cicel Grant Brodie (17 August 1718–9 Sept 1777): William Brodie’s mother.
Francis Brodie (24 June 1708–1 June 1782): William Brodie’s father.
Hellen Grant Brodie (?– 25 December 1725): William Brodie’s grandmother.
Jacobina “Jamie” Brodie (31 July 1760–1839): William Brodie’s sister and wife of Matthew Sheriff.
Jean Brodie (2 Feb 1759–?): William Brodie’s sister who took care of daily affairs of the Brodie home after the death of their parents.
Ludovick Brodie (?–16 June 1758): William Brodie’s paternal grandfather. Clerk to the Signet.
Alexander Brown: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize). Brown was unable to sit on the jury due to illness.
John Brown (aka Humphry Moore): A member of William Brodie’s gang. Brown, an Englishman, was convicted of theft at the Old Bailey in April 1784, and was sentenced to a seven-year transportation in Australia. Brown skipped town to avoid transportation and ended up in Edinburgh. Brown receives a King’s Pardon for turning on his fellow gang members. Nothing is known of Brown after being released after Brodie's trial, but legend has it he ended up a beggar in London.
William Brown: An Edinburgh grocer selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Alexander Bruce: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Andrew Bruce: Co-owner of a hardware store, with his brother John, what was burgled on 24 December 1786 by William Brodie and his crew.
John Bruce: Co-owner of a hardware store, with his brother Andrew, what was burgled on 24 December 1786 by William Brodie and his crew.
Reverend John Cleeve: One of two ministers that accompanied William Brodie to the gallows.
Grahame Campbell: Servant to George Smith. He testified at William Brodie’s trial that he had seen Brodie, Anislie, and Brown frequently at George Smith’s home.
Thomas Campbell: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
James Carfrae: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
John Carnegie: Owner of a grocery store that was burgled by William Brodie and his crew on 16 August 1787.
James Clark: A vintner, at the head of Fleshmarket Close, whose establishment William Brodie frequently gambled.
Archibald Cockburn (1738–20 June 1820): Edinburgh's sheriff at the time of Deacon Brodie's crime spree.
William Corbett: Supervisor of the Excise in Stirling and a “friend” of William Brodie’s who traveled frequently to Edinburgh. William Brodie accompanied Corbett on his travels to and fro on three separate occasions. Brodie’s accounts lists a bill of £50 owed to Corbett in 1788.
William Creech: An Edinburgh bookseller selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial. Creech was a fixture in Edinburgh’s intelligencia and would publish the first account of William Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Dr. Peter Degravers: Described by most accounts as a quack, this French doctor attended William Brodie’s body after his execution in an attempt to revive him. Degravers was unsuccessful in his treatments.
John Dent: Captain of the Endeavor, the ship that took William Brodie to Amsterdam.
Unknown male first name Denovon: William Brodie owed a £10 bill to Devon in 1788. The 1786 to 1788 Edinburgh Directory lists only one person with that last name, a printer by the name of Campbell Denovan at Brodie's Close. It is likely Campbell is the person Deacon Brodie owed and the bill could have been for business documents or handbills advertising Brodie's workshop.
John Dixon: The name used by Deacon Brodie while he was on the run.
James Donaldson: An Edinburgh Printer selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Henry Dundas; 1st Vicount Melville (28 April 1742–28 May 1811): A member of Parliament and politico, William Brodie writes to Dundas while in the Tolbooth in an attempt to reduce Brodie’s sentence to transportation.
Thomas Elder: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
William Fettes: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Sir William Forbes: William Brodie owed a £300 bond with £50 to Forbes in 1788. This could have been a personal debt or to Forbes’ bank.
Robert Forrester: An Edinburgh banker selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
John Geddes: A tobacconist from Mid-Calder and passenger with William Brodie on the Endeavour. William entrusted Geddes with letters to deliver when he returned to Edinburgh. Geddes tip leads the authorities to Brodie’s whereabouts and testifies at Brodie’s trial.
William Gillespie: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize). Gillespie was on a business trip and was unable to serve on the jury.
Unknown Graham: According to George Smith's 10 March 1788 statement to Edinburgh Sheriff, Archibald Cockburn, "one Graham" introduced George Smith and William Brodie. This could possibly be Grahame Campbell who was a on-again-off-again manservant to Smith and his wife, Mary Hubbart. Other than that lead, there is no additional information on who "one Graham" could be.
Anne Grant: Mistress of William Brodie. Brodie fathered three children with Grant.
William Grant: William Brodie owed a £50 bill to Grant in 1788.
Unknown male first name Groves: The King’s Messenger who finds William Brodie in Amsterdam and returns Brodie to London.
Reverend Thomas Hardie: One of two ministers that accompanied William Brodie to the gallows.
Orlando Hart: An Edinburgh shoemaker selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize). Hart was unable to serve on the jury due to health issues.
Unknown male name Hamilton: Accompanied Brodie to the Endeavor along with a Mr. Pinkerton. Hamilton and Pinkerton appear to have owned the Endeavor and secured Deacon Brodie's passage on the ship.
Michael Henderson: A stabler in Grassmarket who ran a cock fighting ring frequented by William Brodie. Henderson also ran a tavern/inn of sorts that George Smith rented a room. Andrew Ainslie and John Brown (aka Humphry Moore) frequented this establishment also. Deacon Brodie also wrote a number of letters to Henderson while he was on the run.
Alexander Houston: An Edinburgh banker selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Mary Hubbart (Hubburt): George Smith’s wife. There was some consternation at Deacon Brodie and George Smith's trial about her identity given the way her name was spelled on court documents. It was ruled that she was, in fact, George Smith's wife. It was also ruled that she could testify against Deacon Brodie, but not against her husband George Smith. Since their trials were linked, the jury couldn't help to be prejudiced against George Smith upon hearing her testimony against Brodie.
Thomas Hutcheson: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
John Hutton: An Edinburgh stationer selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Edward Innes: An Edinburgh confectioner selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
James or John Innes: William Brodie owed a £300 bond to a Jas. Innes in 1788. The abbreviation could mean James or John. The 1786 to 1788 Edinburgh Directory lists and James (teller at the Royal Bank, Carruber's Close) and a John (Writer to the Signet opposite Crichton's entry in Cannongate). Brodie could have owed either man.
Henry Jamieson: An Edinburgh banker selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Unknown first name Johnston, : A female George Smith gave ten yards of white satin to after the Inglis and Messer silk store job.
George Kinnear: An Edinburgh banker selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
John Laing: A writer and assistant clerk of the Edinburgh City Council that testified at William Brodie’s trial. Under oath, Laing offered his opinion that the letters in Brodie’s possession at the time of his arrest were written by Brodie. He did say that the unsigned letters were also Brodie’s handwriting, but were “worse written.”
John Learmonth, Jr: An Edinburgh tanner selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
John Law: A tobacconist in the Exchange whose shop was broken into 8 December 1786. The robbery was attributed to Brodie and his gang, but no evidence exists it was them.
Lee, Strachan, and Company: A London-based company used by William Walker to facilitate payment of £50 to John Dixon (William Brodie’s nom de guerre while on the run) upon reaching Philadelphia.
Unknown male first name Loch: William Brodie's balance sheet lists Loch as being owed a £400 bond “on the house in World’s End” in 1788.
John MacLeish: Clerk to Hugh Buchan, City Chamberlain of Edinburgh. Testified at William Brodie’s trial that he believed the letters found in Brodie’s possession at the time of his arrest were written by Brodie. Of the unsigned letters, MacLeish was not so certain saying, “I never saw Mr. Brodie write in so crowded a way, or interline so much, but notwithstanding, I think that these are of his handwriting.” (Ro p 95)
William Martin: Bookseller who purchased a number of William Brodie’s properties in 1789.
Peter McFarlane: A clerk of the Edinburgh Excise Office who testified against Deacon Brodie and George Smith.
Davidson McKain: Hardware store owner on Bridge Street. Brodie and gang burgled his establishment in November of 1786.
William McKay: A doorkeeper in the Cannongate of Edinburgh who testified against Deacon Brodie and George Smith.
Captain Unknown First Name Miller: William Brodie's balance sheet has an entry for owing a £35 bill to Captain Miller of Kirkaldie,
John Milne: An Edinburgh Founder selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Humphrey Moore: An alias used by Deacon Brodie gang member, John Brown.
Reverend John Nairn: William Brodie's balance sheet lists a £50 bond owed to Reverend Nairn and mentions him in one of his letters while on the run.
David Paterson: An Edinburgh Insurance Broker selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Adam Pearson: Assistant Secretary at the Edinburgh Excise Office who testified against Deacon Brodie and George Smith.
Unknown first name Pinkerton: Accompanied Brodie to the Endeavor along with a Mr. Hamilton. Hamilton and Pinkerton appear to have owned the Endeavor and secured Deacon Brodie's passage on the ship.
William Pirnie: A mason who had rented land on Prince’s Street to William Brodie.
Dunbar Pringle: An Edinburgh tanner selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Isobell Ramsay: William Brodie's balance sheet shows a £150 bond being owed to Ramsay in 1788.
James Ranken: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Peter Robertson: An Edinburgh goldsmith selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize). Robinson was unable to serve on the jury due to illness.
William Simpson: An Edinburgh banker selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Francis Sharp: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be on the final jury (assize) in Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s trial.
Matthew Sheriff: An upholsterer who married Jacobina Brodie.
William Smellie: An Edinburgh printer selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
George Smith, George (? – 1 October 1788): A member of William Brodie’s “gang.” Smith was a native of Boxford, near Newburgh, in Berkshire and at one time was a locksmith in Birmingham. Before settling in Edinburgh, Smith and his wife, Mary Hubbart (Hubburt), traveled around England hawking goods from their horse and cart. Smith traveled to Edinburgh, without his wife, in 1786 took up residence at Michael Henderson's home/inn/tavern in Grassmarket. Shortly his arrival in Edinburgh, Smith took ill for four months and could not work and was reduced to selling his scant possessions to survive. Henderson sent word to his wife, still somewhere in England, of Smith's condition and Mary relocated to Edinburgh to care fro her husband. Using the proceeds from the Brodie gang's robberies, George and Mary established a small grocery store in Cowgate. It appears that Smith was the catalyst for Deacon Brodie's life of crime and was hung with Deacon Brodie for his troubles.
John Tapp: A gentleman whose house was robbed at Christmas time 1787 by George Smith.
John Tasker (aka Murray): A fence in Chesterfield George Smith used after the Bruce Brother’s jewelry shop robbery in 1786.
Alexander Thompson: An accountant at the Edinburgh Excise Office. He testified against Deacon Brodie and George Smith at their trial.
John Thomson: An Edinburgh Insurance Broker selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
William Turnbull: An Edinburgh merchant selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Margaret Tweddle: Wife of John Geddes and passenger with William Brodie on the Endeavour. She also testified at Brodie’s trial.
Emanuel Walker: A Philadelphia merchant who William Walker wrote asking to supply John Dixon (William Brodie’s nom de guerre while on the run.) £50.
William Walker: A London (Adelphi) lawyer that aided William Brodie while he was on the run.
Jean Watt: Mistress of William Brodie. Brodie fathered two sons with Watt.
Alexander Weir: An Edinburgh painter selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
James Wemyss: Goldsmith whose shop was broken into on 9 Oct 1786.
George Williamson: King’s Messenger tasked with finding William Brodie after he flees from Edinburgh in 1788. Williamson also escorts Brodie from London to Edinburgh after he is caught in Amsterdam.
Robert Young: An Edinburgh upholsterer selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
William Young: An Edinburgh banker selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
Benjamin Yule: An Edinburgh Baker selected to be part of Deacon Brodie and George Smith’s jury pool (assize).
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