Massacre of Tranent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Massacre of Tranent |
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A memorial in Tranent commemorating Jackie Crookstone
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| Location | Tranent, Scotland |
| Date | Tuesday, 29 August 1797 |
| Target | Anti-conscription protesters |
| Perpetrators | Cinque Ports Light Dragoons |
The Massacre of Tranent was a tragic event that happened on August 29, 1797. It took place in the town of Tranent, which is in Scotland. This event involved a protest against a new law and led to violence.
Contents
The New Law: Scottish Militia Act
In 1797, a new law was passed in Scotland. It was called the Scottish Militia Act. This law said that 6,000 men would be forced to join the militia. The militia was a group of ordinary citizens trained to be soldiers, ready to defend the country.
What is Conscription?
The act introduced something called conscription. This means that people were chosen by force to join the army or militia. They did not get to choose if they wanted to serve or not. Many people in Scotland did not like this new rule.
Why People Protested
On August 28, 1797, the day before the massacre, people in Tranent wrote a special message. This message was called a proclamation. They wanted to show that they were against the new law.
The proclamation had four main points:
- They did not agree with the law that forced men to join the militia.
- They promised to help each other try to get the law removed.
- They said they wanted to be peaceful. But if the authorities used force to make them join, the authorities would be to blame for any bad things that happened.
- They warned that if they were forced to become soldiers, they might not be loyal if asked to fight against their own people or a foreign enemy.
Secret Support for the Protest
Some people believe that a secret group helped encourage these protests. This group was called the United Scotsmen. They were active across Scotland and wanted to change the government. They were thought to be involved in similar protests against the 1797 Militia Act in other places too.
The Day of the Incident
On August 29, 1797, the people of Tranent gave their protest message to Major Wight. He was the officer in charge of the soldiers who were signing people up for the militia. At first, the soldiers ignored the message.
Later, a group of protesters arrived. Many of them were from local coal mining communities. They were led by a brave woman named 'Jackie' (Joan) Crookston. When they faced the soldiers, the soldiers reacted very quickly and violently. Several protesters, including Jackie Crookston, were shot and killed right away.
The Pursuit and Casualties
The protesters ran away from the center of Tranent into the countryside. But the soldiers, called the Cinque Port Light Dragoons, chased after them. Reports say the soldiers attacked people without caring if they were part of the protest or not.
It is believed that around 12 to 20 or more people died that day. These included men, women, and children. Many more people were also hurt.
Reactions to the Massacre
The main commander of the Light Dragoons was Colonel Viscount Hawkesbury. He later became a Prime Minister of Britain. However, he was not present in Tranent during the massacre.
Some people blamed him for staying in Haddington. They thought that if he had been there, he might have stopped the soldiers from acting so violently.
Remembering the Event
In 1995, a special statue was put up in Tranent. It was made by a sculptor named David Annand. The statue shows Jackie Crookston and one of the children who were involved in the event. It helps people remember what happened during the Massacre of Tranent.
