BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 155
No. CCXXIV.
THE CITY T R 0 N -31 EN ;
CHPNNEY-S WEEPERS.
THE personal history of these men is almost entirely unknown ; and probably
few incidents in their humble progress through life would be found worthy of
recording. The elder of the two, DAVIDG ILCHRISTw,a s a worthy enough
person in his way ; and he is still remembered by some of the sable fraternity
of Edinburgh. He lived in the College Wynd, off the Cowgate.
At a remote period, there was only one individual of the name of Hamilton
-resident in the West Port ‘--who devoted his attention solely to the sweeping
of chimneys. He kept a number of men and boys in his employment;
but the city, notwithstanding, was very indifferently supplied. In order to
remedy this state of things-as well as to avoid the barbarous system of
“ climbing boys ” twelve men, previously porters, were appointed chimneysweepers
for the city, with an annual allowance of one guinea, and certain other
perquisites. They were called “ Tron-men,” from the circumstance of their
being stationed at the Trone,’ or public beam for weighing, which formerly
stood in front of the Tron Church.
A small wooden apartment was subsequently erected for them at the east end
of the City Guard-House, in which to deposit their apparatus ; and where the
men themselves were daily in waiting, ready to supply, in rotation, the demands
of their customers. In case of fire occurring, the duty of keeping watch at
night in the Guard-House devolved on one of their number alternately.
In the Print, the dress and apparatus of the “ City Tron-men ” are accurately
described. They wore flat bonnets--a coat peculiarly formed-and kneebreeches
and buckles-with a short apron. A ladder-a besom-with a coil
Hamilton resided a little to the west of the Vennel, and w89 known by the name of “ Sweep
The Trone appears to have been used as a pillory for the punishment of crime. In Nichoh Diary
for 1649, it is stated that “much falset and cheitting was dailie deteckit at this time by the Lords of
Sessioune ; for the whilk there was dailie hanging, skucging, nailing of lugs [ears], and Ending of
people to the TRONE, a d boring of tongues ; so that it was one fatal year for false notaries and
witnesses, as dailie experience did witness.” The wagh-house, wbich stood at the head of the West
Bow, built probably about the beginning of the seventeenth century, 85 a substitute for the Tmm,
was removed in 1822, on the King’s visit to Scotland, in order to make way for the Royal procession
to the Castle.
Jack.” He died about the end of last century.
156 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
of ropes and a ball, completed their equipment. Besides enjoying a species of
monopoly within the city, they formed themselves into a Society, the entry money
to which was jive pounds, and the quarterly dues 3s. 6d. This high rate was
no doubt suggested from exclusive motives. As the city increased, many new
sweepers had commenced on their own account in the suburbs, and not a few
had been admitted to participate in the privileges of the Don-men ; although
the annual allowance of a guinea continued to be limited to the original number ;
and, as a distinguishing mark, none but the twelve were permitted to wear the
broad bonnet.
The Society of Tron-men, like most other exclusive bodies, were not without
entertaining a due estimate of their own importance and respectability. As an
instance, one of the members-Robert Hunter-was expelled the Society, and
virtually banished to Leith for the space of five years, for having brought
dishonour on the fraternity, by assisting the authorities at the execution of
Captain Ogilvie-the paramour of the celebrated Catharine Nairne-on the 13th
November 1765.
After his condemnation, every exertion was made by the friends of the
Captain to procure a reversal of the sentence, by an appeal to the House of
Lords. The competency of such a proceeding had not then been finally settled ;
and, with the view of giving time for considering the question, four successive
reprieves were obtained for the prisoner-the first three for fourteen days, and
the last for seven. He was then warned to prepare for death, an appeal from
the High Court of Justiciary having been deemed irregular by the officers of
the Crown. Finding all other means of escape impossible, the Captain’s friends
contrived to bribe the finisher of the law ; in the fallacious belief that if the
rope failed he could not legally be thrown off a second time. Accordingly, on
the day of execution, no sooner had the culprit been turned off than “ the noose
of the rope slipped, and he fell to the ground.” The Captain was immediately
laid hold of; but he resisted with great vigour. By the “ assistance of the city
servants,” he was again dragged up the ladder and despatched.’ As one of the
“ city servants,” Hunter had rendered essential aid, for which, as affirmed, he
received a reward of five pounds ; and his conduct having been greatly censured
by his brethren of the Tron, he was expelled the Society in the manner already
described. Hunter died about 1812.
When the City Guard-House was demolished in 1785, the Tron-men, along
with the Guard, were accommodated in the Old Assembly Rooms-a part of
the premises being appropriated for their use, to which they entered from Bell’s
Wynd. Owing to the great increase of the city, and sundry other causes, the
chimney-sweepers began to feel the attendance exacted from them extremely
This is not the only instance in which the non-men were associated with the common executioner
in the performance of his duty. In 1746, when the standards belonging to the army of Prince
Charles were publicly burned at the Cross, by order of the Duke of Cumberland, they were carried
in procession from the Castle by the hangman and thirteen chimney-sweepers. The standards were
destroyed one by one, a herald proclaiming to whom they respectively belonged.