42-1184: Porteous is the name of a Scottish Borders armigerous family. Notable members of the Porteous family include: Surname [ edit ] Beilby Porteus/Porteous (1731–1809), Anglican bishop, reformer and abolitionist Bradley Porteous (b. 1998), South African cricketer Cameron Porteous (b. 1937), Canadian set designer Crichton Porteous (1901–1991), writer and author David Porteous , Canadian singer/songwriter and film maker Garrick Porteous (b. 1990), English golfer Gaye Porteous (b. 1965), Canadian field hockey international George Porteous (1903–1977), Lieutenant-Governor of Saskatchewan, Canada Gladstone Porteous (1874–1944), Australian missionary and linguist in China Haydn Porteous (b. 1994), South African golfer Hugh Gordon Porteus (1906–1993), English art and literature critic Ian Porteous (born 1964), Scottish footballer Ian R. Porteous (1930–2011), Scottish mathematician James Porteous (1848–1922), Scottish-American inventor of
84-414: A Gaelic-speaking elite in the area, the main languages in the area since the 5th century appear to have been Brythonic (in the west) and Old English (in the east), the latter of which developed into its modern forms of English and Scots . Border ballads occupied a distinctive place in literature. Many of them were rescued from oblivion by Walter Scott , who gathered materials for his Minstrelsy of
126-583: A headstone of Craigleith stone, bearing the inscription "John Porteous, a captain of the City Guard of Edinburgh, murdered September 7, 1736. All Passion Spent, 1973." The spot where Porteous died in the Grassmarket is today marked by a memorial plate. The site of the notorious Tolbooth prison is marked by paving stones arranged in the form of a heart, known as the Heart of Midlothian . Even today, passers-by will spit on
168-705: A man standing behind in the crowd. Porteous ordered the City Guards to fire on the enraged crowd, killing a further five people. In the ensuing riot, the hangman, Porteous, and the city guards sought refuge in the City Guardhouse on the Royal Mile where the situation worsened. This prompted the Lord Provost of Edinburgh to instruct Captain Porteous to call out the entire City Guard, furnish them with powder and shot, and ensure
210-534: A rodent species See also [ edit ] Joe Porteus (1925–95), English footballer Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Porteous . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Porteous&oldid=1229906360 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
252-491: A small group of city tradesmen and journeymen. Despite a reward of £200 being made available by the government for information, those responsible for the murder of Porteous were never found. The final resting place of John Porteous in Greyfriars Kirkyard had for more than two hundred years been marked by a small square stone engraved with the single letter "P" and the date 1736. More recently, this has been replaced with
294-555: A wider use, referring to all of the counties adjoining the English border, also including Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire , as well as Northumberland , Cumberland and Westmorland in England. Roxburghshire and Berwickshire historically bore the brunt of the conflicts with England, both during declared wars such as the Wars of Scottish Independence , and armed raids which took place in
336-474: Is Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale and is represented by SNP Christine Grahame . The council area is divided into 11 wards that elect 34 councilors: Largest settlements by population: 15,490 13,620 9,000 6,870 4,540 3,860 3,580 3,180 2,820 2,500 Porteous Riots The Porteous Riots surrounded the activities of Captain John Porteous (c. 1695–1736), Captain of
378-463: Is bordered by West Lothian , Edinburgh , Midlothian , and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the west, and the English ceremonial counties of Cumbria and Northumberland to the south. The largest settlement is Galashiels , and the administrative centre is Newtown St Boswells . The term Borders sometimes has
420-544: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( Scots : the Mairches , lit. 'the Marches '; Scottish Gaelic : Crìochan na h-Alba ) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland . The council area occupies approximately the same area as the historic shires of Berwickshire , Peeblesshire , Roxburghshire , and Selkirkshire . It
462-543: Is represented by John Lamont of the Conservatives. The western Tweeddale area is included in the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale constituency and is represented by David Mundell of the Conservatives. At Scottish Parliament level, there are also two seats. The eastern constituency is Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire , which is currently represented by Conservative Rachael Hamilton . The western constituency
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#1732845292607504-555: The City Guard of Edinburgh , Scotland , who was lynched by a mob for his part in the killing of innocent civilians while ordering the men under his command to quell a disturbance during a public hanging in the Grassmarket , Edinburgh in April 1736. Although the rioters were generally supportive of the convicted smugglers, Porteous seems to have been a somewhat overbearing official, despised by
546-507: The Covenanters ' time, when the marquess of Montrose was defeated at the Battle of Philiphaugh in 1645. Partly for defence and partly to overawe the freebooters and moss-troopers who were a perpetual threat until they were suppressed later in the 17th century, castles were erected at various points on both sides of the border. From early on, the two sovereigns agreed on the duty to regulate
588-504: The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 saw the area's four districts and the regional council abolished, with a new unitary authority created covering the same area as the former Borders Region. The 1994 Act called the new council area "The Borders", but the shadow council elected in 1995 to oversee the transition changed the name to "Scottish Borders" prior to the changes coming into effect in 1996. The Scottish Borders are in
630-590: The Borders Regional Council between 1975 and 1996. Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 . Election results since 1995 have been as follows: There are two British Parliamentary constituencies in the Scottish Borders; Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk covers most of the region and
672-718: The Fresno scraper John Porteous (soldier) (c. 1695–1736), Captain of the City Guard of Edinburgh lynched in the Porteous Riots John Alexander Porteous (1932–1995), columnist and journalist Johnny Porteous (1921–2007), Scottish footballer Julian Porteous (born 1949), Bishop, Archdiocese of Hobart, Australia Katrina Porteous (b. 1960), Scottish poet Miguel Porteous (b. 1999), New Zealand skier Ned Porteous (b. 1994), British actor Nico Porteous (b. 2001), New Zealand skier Norman Porteous (1898–2003), Scottish theologian and translator of
714-1512: The New English Bible, last surviving officer of the First World War Patrick Anthony Porteous (1918–2000), Scottish war hero, recipient of the Victoria Cross Rose Porteous (born 1948), Filipino-born Australian socialite Ryan Porteous (born 1999), Scottish footballer Shane Porteous (born 1942), Australian actor Stanley Porteus (1883–1972), Australian psychologist and author Thomas Porteous (1946–2021), former United States district court judge Thomas Porteous (footballer) (1865–1919), footballer for Sunderland and England Thomas Porteous (merchant) (1765–1830), merchant and politician in Lower Canada Timothy Porteous (1933–2020), Canadian former executive assistant to Pierre Trudeau Trevor Porteous (1933–1997), English football player and manager Victor Porteous , (1893–1966) Canadian Member of Parliament William Porteous (born 1945), Australian land developer Willie Porteous (1878–1962), Scottish footballer Others [ edit ] Porteous , chain of department stores, New England The Porteous formula in algebraic geometry Porteous Point , on Signy Island, Antarctica The Porteous Riots of 1736 Porteous's tuco-tuco ,
756-580: The Scottish Border , which appeared in 1802 and 1803. Border traditions and folklore, and the picturesque incidents of which the country was so often the scene, appealed strongly to James Hogg ("the Ettrick Shepherd"), John Wilson , writing as "Christopher North", and John Mackay Wilson , whose Tales of the Borders , published in 1835, enjoyed popular favour throughout the 1800s. Until September 2015,
798-475: The area as well as to Berwick-upon Tweed in Northumberland . The area is served by the main local newspapers: Southern Reporter and The Border Telegraph . The council has been under no overall control since 1999. Since the 2022 election the council has been run by an administration of the Conservatives and three of the independent councillors. The first election to the Borders Regional Council
840-509: The border with England for the last twenty miles or so of its length. The term Central Borders refers to the area in which the majority of the main towns and villages of Galashiels , Selkirk , Hawick , Jedburgh , Earlston , Kelso , Newtown St Boswells , St Boswells , Peebles , Melrose and Tweedbank are located. Two of Scotland's 40 national scenic areas (defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure their protection from inappropriate development) lie within
882-508: The borders. The Scottish Marches system was set up, under the control of three wardens from each side, who generally kept the peace through several centuries until being replaced by the Middle Shires under James VI/I . Prior to 1975 the area that is now Scottish Borders was administered as the four separate counties of Berwickshire , Peeblesshire , Roxburghshire , and Selkirkshire , plus part of Midlothian . An elected county council
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#1732845292607924-537: The council following the 1996 reforms was Drew Tulley, who had been the last leader of the former Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council. The leaders since 1996 have been: Scottish Borders Council is based at the Council Headquarters in Newtown St Boswells. The building had been the headquarters of Roxburghshire County Council prior to 1975, and subsequently served as the served as the main office of
966-446: The disbarment from all offices of the Lord Provost , Alexander Wilson. It was variously thought that Porteous' murder was carried out by friends of those who had been shot and killed, revenge by the smugglers, a Jacobite plot, or even a conspiracy by Presbyterian extremists. However, the organisation of events seems to imply a degree of planning, thought to be the work of James Maxwell, an Edinburgh journeyman carpenter, together with
1008-683: The eastern part of the Southern Uplands . The region is hilly and largely rural, with the River Tweed flowing west to east through it. The highest hill in the region is Broad Law in the Manor Hills . In the east of the region, the area that borders the River Tweed is flat and is known as 'The Merse'. The Tweed and its tributaries drain the entire region with the river flowing into the North Sea at Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland , and forming
1050-657: The evening before it was due to happen, a mob of more than four thousand gathered at Portsburgh , west of the city. They made their way across the Grassmarket to the Cowgate and up to the High Street before converging on the Tolbooth. Eventually the mob was able to overpower the guards and Porteous was dragged from his cell up the Lawnmarket to the West Bow and down to the Grassmarket. It
1092-422: The guardhouse was not stormed by the rioters. Accounts of events that followed are confusing but what is certain is that Captain Porteous initially instructed his troops to fire above the heads of the crowd. However, in so doing, they wounded people in the windows of the surrounding tenement buildings which just made the crowd even more violent. As panic set in, Porteous ordered the City Guard to shoot directly into
1134-662: The jury unanimously found Porteous guilty of murder. He was sentenced to death and the execution was set to take place in the Grassmarket on 8 September 1736. Porteous was imprisoned in the same condemned cell in the Tolbooth that had earlier held Wilson and Robertson. Events in Scotland alarmed the government in London, and Sir Robert Walpole attempted to influence events by asking his representative in Edinburgh to become involved. A formal appeal
1176-424: The mob and the underclasses of Edinburgh society. In April 1736 three convicted smugglers, Andrew Wilson, a "notorious smuggler ", William Hall and George Robertson, had been tried and condemned to death. While Hall's sentence was commuted to exile, Wilson and Robertson awaited their fate in the condemned cell at Edinburgh's notorious Tolbooth Prison next to St Giles Cathedral . A few days before their execution
1218-481: The mob and there were even rumours that the local city magistrates had been involved in the conspiracy. In February 1737 a parliamentary inquiry was held in the House of Lords , It initially proposed the disbanding of the City Guard and removal of Netherbow Port, but these proposals were subsequently dropped. Eventually, the only punishments enforced were a £2,000 fine imposed on the city (used to support Porteous' widow) and
1260-496: The mob which led to the deaths of another six people. However, the rioters retreated and the streets quietened. Porteous was arrested the same afternoon and charged with murder. On 5 July 1736, he was tried at the High Court of Justiciary . A majority of witnesses testified that Porteous had personally fired into the crowd on 14 April, although sixteen others said they had not seen him do so. Feelings were running high in Edinburgh when
1302-424: The pair tried to escape. Wilson removed a bar from the cell window but became stuck "being a very stout man" and blocked Robertson's escape. On 14 April 1736, Andrew Wilson and George Robertson were publicly hanged in the Grassmarket . However, when the body of Wilson was cut down by a sailor, Captain Porteous of the City Guard reacted by grabbing a musket and firing at the sailor. Unfortunately he missed and killed
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1344-563: The region are: In terms of television, the area is cover by BBC Scotland broadcasting from Glasgow and ITV Border which broadcast from Gateshead . Television signals are received from the Selkirk TV transmitter. Radio stations are provided by BBC Radio Scotland which broadcast the local opt-out from its studios in Selkirk . The commercial radio station, Radio Borders broadcasts from Edinburgh but still broadcast local news bulletins to
1386-636: The region had no working railway stations. Although the area was well connected to the Victorian railway system , the branch lines that supplied it were closed in the decades following the Second World War . A bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament to extend the Waverley Line , which aimed to re-introduce a commuter service from Edinburgh to Stow , Galashiels and Tweedbank . This section of
1428-585: The region: At the census held on 27 March 2011, the population of the region was 113,870 (final total), an increase of 6.66% from the 106,764 enumerated at the previous (2001) census. The Census of 20 March 2022 produced a population of 116,821. Although there is evidence of some Scottish Gaelic in the origins of place names such as Innerleithen ("confluence of the Leithen "), Kilbucho and Longformacus , which contain identifiably Goidelic rather than Brythonic Celtic elements and are an indication of at least
1470-539: The route re-opened on 6 September 2015, under the Borders Railway branding. The other railway route running through the region is the East Coast Main Line , with Edinburgh Waverley , Dunbar and Berwick being the nearest stations on that line, all of which are outwith the Borders. Since 2022, after much discussion a railway station was re-opened at Reston which is within the region and serves Eyemouth . To
1512-475: The times of the Border Reivers . During this period, at the western end of the border there was a strip of country, called the "Debatable Land", because the possession of it was a constant source of contention between England and Scotland until its boundaries were adjusted in 1552. Thus, across the region are to be seen the ruins of many castles, abbeys and even towns. The only other important conflict belongs to
1554-489: The west, Carlisle , Carstairs and Lockerbie are the nearest stations on the West Coast Main Line . The area is served by buses which connect the main population centres. Express bus services link the main towns with rail stations at Edinburgh and Carlisle. The region also has no commercial airports; the nearest are Edinburgh and Newcastle , both of which are international airports. The main roads to and from
1596-516: Was established for each county in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 . The county councils were abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , which established a two-tier structure of local government comprising upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. A region called Borders was created covering the area. The region contained four districts, called Berwickshire, Ettrick and Lauderdale , Roxburgh , and Tweeddale . Further local government reform in 1996 under
1638-399: Was held in 1974, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new system came into force on 16 May 1975. A shadow authority was again elected in 1995 ahead of the reforms which came into force on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1975 has been as follows: Borders Regional Council Scottish Borders Council The first leader of
1680-619: Was made to set his naked foot alight. He was hauled up again and hung and died a short while later just before midnight on 7 September 1736. He was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard , Edinburgh, the following day. The events in Edinburgh heightened the sense of alarm in London, where the government was concerned about its control of Scotland. Prime Minister Robert Walpole , Queen Caroline and the Secretary of State Duke of Newcastle thought that Porteous had been unnecessarily sacrificed to appease
1722-413: Was petitioned to Queen Caroline , who granted a reprieve and the execution was deferred, but Walpole had miscalculated, underestimating the depth of feeling in Scotland. Public resentment grew in Edinburgh when word arrived that Porteous had received a reprieve. The city authorities increased the guard at the Tolbooth prison when they learned that there was a plot to lynch the imprisoned Captain. However,
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1764-402: Was there that he was hanged from a dyer's pole using a rope taken from a local draper's shop. After a short while Porteus was pulled down and stripped naked. His nightgown and shirt were then wrapped around his head before he was hanged again. However, as his hands were untied, he was able to struggle free. Some of the mob began beating him savagely, breaking his arm and shoulder and an attempt
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