Tibbie Tamson

Tibbie Tamson's grave near Philiphaugh

Tibbie Tamson was a Scottish woman, who is known to have lived in Selkirk, Scottish Borders, during the 18th century. Her grave is located on a hillside, around 1.5 miles north of Selkirk, at grid reference NT436296. While Tamson certainly did exist, and is recorded as dying in 1790, few other facts are actually known about her. Despite this, each year as a matter of tradition and as way of an apology members of the Selkirk Common Riding Organisation place a wreath in remembrance of her and her ordeal.

Several different explanations have been expressed in an effort to explain her death and also to attempt to explain why she was buried in such an isolated spot. The four most prevalent theories are:

1. she suffered execution for witchcraft and thus was buried outside of her town as a further penalty;
2. she committed suicide and was denied Christian burial thus was buried outside her town as a form of judical retribution;
3. she was a casualty of plague thus seprated as a form of infection control;
4. she was a victim of murder.

Capital punishment

It is debated that Tibbie Tamson was an executed 'criminal', found guilty of witchcraft and sentenced to death by being burnt at the stake. This theory states that, owing to her unholy activities, her body was buried outside the town as was the legal custom. If this is true, this would explain her being buried close to, but not in, the neighbouring town of Philiphaugh, as well as outside Selkirk. Most people in Selkirk tend to hold this position although, it could be a confusion with a certain Megan Lawson who was recorded by the Scottish courts as being executed by strangulation and burned for being an alleged witch in Selkirk's town square around the same time. Some reject Tibbie Tamson as being executed for witchcraft because of its implications for the town's history.^{[citation needed]} There is no record of a Tibbie Tamson from Selkirk ever being sentenced to death during the 18th century in Scotland.

Suicide

This theory states that she was mentally and/or intellectually challenged. Due to this she was tormented and treated with contempt in her community. When Tibbie stole a piece of yarn, she was summoned to the sheriff court to face trial. When found guilty of this petty offence, which she is said to have not fully understood, she is said to have been taunted and tormented even more. This is said to have been the tipping point where due to embarrassment, she is said to have gone home and hung herself.^{[citation needed]}

Suicide not being tolerated or looked upon compassionately at that time, she would have been posthumously punished by the Scottish courts by being buried in non-consecrated ground outside the town.

It is of interest to note that when a servant of the local landowner, the Duke of Buccleuch, a Mr. Michael Stewart, dug up her grave in an effort to give her a dignified interment some time later he found the body was clothed and had a penny and a farthing inside her pocket. He later reburied her, with a small Christian ceremony, and laid a crude headstone on her place of burial which can still be seen today. All this suggests that she could not have been burned.

It is also worthy of note that Mr. Stewart mentions her body was refused interment in the 'Auld Kirk yard', and turned over to the Selkirk Burgh constable to be placed outside the town for the crime of "self murder".^{[citation needed]} This was said to have been reported by Mr. Stewart approximately 90 years after her ordeal. If this is true it may be very reliable evidence from a potential eye witness, however Mr. Stewart would be about one hundred years old if he did witness it when he reported it, this is highly unlikely but cannot be fully dismissed on grounds that it is not impossible.

Disease

This theory is considered the least likely.^{[citation needed]} It has been theorised that Tibbie Tamson might have been a plague victim, who was buried outside the town to stop the spread of infection. if this were true one would expect to find more towns people buried outside the town. There has been none as of yet.

Homicide

A new theory that has emerged states that she could have been murdered and her death made to look like a suicide. Certainly if this was true, it is highly likely that such a case would have been seen as suicide due to almost scant policing and forensic knowledge at the time.

References

• P. D. Garside (2002). Note 171(a), in Hogg, James. The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. Edinburgh University Press. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0PYlm9IOXycC&pg=PA252&lpg=PA252&dq=%22tibbie+tamson+%22&source=web&ots=8V_wmlAJJR&sig=eurbM8PUlePTigiFBuURmfQ2P84&hl=en. Retrieved 2008-04-11.