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Brodies
Close...
Brodies
Close is named after William Brodie whose father was a respected
cabinetmaker in Edinburgh's Lawnmarket and became a member
of the Town Council. But William enjoyed the life of a playboy
and although he also became a skilled wood-worker, he spent
much of his time gambling (reputedly with loaded dice). Nevertheless,
he was able to charm his family and the wealthy customers.
On the night of his father's death he was gambling as usual.
Having
inherited the family business, Brodie led a double life, first
as a qualified tradesman and pillar of the community but also
with a dissolute side, gambling heavily. His expenses were
increased by his support to his mistresses and five illegitimate
children.
Inevitably
running short of money, he began to take wax impressions of
the keys to houses in which he was working legitimately as
a wood-worker. He would then return at night and rob the houses
of the items he had identified during the day. He teamed up
with an English locksmith, George Smith and together they
became very "successful" and daring. They even stole
the silver mace from the university.
Two
more partners in crime were added to the gang and this was
to be Brodie's undoing. During a bungled raid on the Excise
Office, Brodie fell asleep during the robbery and the gang
only just managed to escape. One of the gang decided to accept
the large reward offered by the town council. But Brodie heard
of the arrest of his accomplices and fled to Amsterdam. He
was found later (on the point of sailing to America) and was
extradited to stand trial. Found guilty, he was sentenced
to be hanged. It is here that Brodie's notoriety was to increase
for it was said that he was provided with a harness to cheat
the hangman and that he was spirited away afterwards. Rumours
circulated later that he had been seen in Paris.
One
of the many alleyways in Edinburgh's Royal Mile has been named
after him and the double life of Deacon Brodie as the respectable
tradesman and daring thief is said to have been the inspiration
for Robert Louis Stevenson’s story of “Dr Jekyll
and Mr Hyde"
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