Jackie Crookstone facts for kids
Jackie Crookston (born June 12, 1768 – died August 29, 1797), also known as Joan Crookston, was a brave Scottish woman. She is remembered for her part in protests that led to a sad event called the massacre of Tranent. She was one of the people who died during this event.
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Who Was Jackie Crookston?
Joanna Crookston was born in a place called Old Kirk in Gladsmuir, East Lothian, Scotland. Her parents were Agnes Hogg and James Crookston.
The Tranent Massacre: What Happened?
The Militia Act of 1797
In 1797, a new law called the Scottish Militia Act was made. This law said that healthy Scottish men, aged 19 to 23, had to join the army. Many towns like Aberdeen and Dalry had protests because people were angry. The government sent soldiers to stop the protests. People, especially women, were very upset that their sons and husbands might be forced to fight. School teachers were asked to make lists of men who had to join. This made them targets for protests too.
Protests in Tranent
On August 28, 1797, soldiers rode into Tranent to pick up the men chosen for the army. They found the roads filled with women and children. One woman warned the soldiers that there might be trouble. When the soldiers reached the village, a crowd gathered with sticks and a drum.
Jackie Crookston is said to have approached the soldiers' leader. She told them to leave. Another story says that Jackie played a bigger role. It says she helped organize a protest march on August 28, 1797. She marched with other women from nearby villages. They used a drum beat to shout "no militia!" This was meant to scare local landowners and officials who were choosing the men for the army.
The Day of the Massacre
The process of choosing men for the army went ahead on August 29, 1797. A protest took place. Soldiers who had been kept in a public house (a type of inn) in Tranent broke out. They began shooting at the people. The protesters were said to have sticks and stones.
The soldiers rode through the streets, pushing the protesters into open fields. In the fields, the soldiers' horses could move more easily. At least eleven people were killed, including Jackie Crookston. Her body was found weeks later in a corn field. The exact number of deaths in the massacre is still debated. The main legal official at the time, Robert Dundas, decided not to punish the soldiers. He said the crowd was "a dangerous mob" and more like an "insurrection."
Memorial
Jackie Crookston's part in the Tranent Massacre is remembered with a statue. It is in the civic square in Tranent. The statue was designed by David Annand and was revealed in September 1995.
