“The Scottish Brothers” (1490-1518) were dicephalic parapagus twins raised at the court of James IV. Under his care, they got higher education inc. music and languages and were fluent in Scots, English, Gaelic, Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Danish.
“Breid Jean” Connel (1786-1871) was a social carer and delivered bread to old people in the country around Cumbernauld right up until her death. Married to a soldier in the 79th regiment in 1813, she and her husband both fought at the Battle of Waterloo.
Tyberius Winchester was a “serial gyser” in Elgin.
His rapsheet:
May 1593- playing the pipes and drums with “rascalls”
Jan 1594- bagpiping after dark, being riotous
Dec 1596- dancing in kirkyard
Jan 1604- riding through town with pillowcase on his head
He was also done in 1604 for “uttering uncomlie speaches the nycht the minister catecheized”.
Also his name was TYBERIUS WINCHESTER and he couldn’t be stopped. Another top-shelf name, like HERCULES ROLLOCK.
Pierre de Bocosel de Chastelard (1540-63) was a French poet and creepy stalker of Mary Queen of Scots. On Valentine’s day 1563 he was found under her bed.
Later, he barged in as she was undressing. He was taken to St Andrews and beheaded at the mercat cross.
William Stevenson was a Kilmarnock beggar who died with the equivalent of £80K in cash. He paid for a wake party with cakes and wine for Ayrshire’s poor and homeless that lasted for two weeks. He chose Riccarton Kirkyard because the earth was “nice an dry”.
In Jan 1929, Burntisland man Alexander Millar was impaled by a gear lever while driving a locomotive at the Lochgelly colliery. A fireman pulled him off the lever and Millar finished the 3hrs of his shift. He got the bus home and then died of a ruptured liver.
Bef. 19th C, Newhaven was a gyneocracy run by its fishwives. Men needed their wife’s permission to join a war. Women set fish prices and controlled the local economy. Nicknamed “Maggie Mucklebackit”, the typical Newhaven fishwife could carry 50-100kg of fish.
Galashiels man George Reavely (1815-1895) was the McGonagall of inventors. Tried to fly from Gala to Edinburgh with mechanical batwings. His “flotation mattress-bed” sank in front of a large crowd. He won bronze for an invention that almost killed the expo judge.
In 1821, James Weir was the most famous baby in Scotland. Because of his extreme size, his parents brought him through to Edinburgh to be exhibited. A happy active child, he sadly died at 17 months. His grave can be seen in Cambusnethan Old Churchyard in Wishaw.
