Gilderoy

Patrick McGregor ( d. 1636), better known as Gilderoy, was a Scottish outlaw and mass murderer who engaged in cattle raiding, blackmail and extortion in the regions of Strathspey, Braemar, Cromarty and other areas near Aberdeen during the Stuart period. After being caught by the Scottish authorities, he was executed in Edinburgh in 1636. McGregor has become a figure in Scottish folklore, including ballads, songs and idioms. His nickname has been alternatively rendered as Gilroy, Gilder Roy and Gilleroy.

Life and character Patrick McGregor aka Gilderoy was the leader of a band of limmers or robbers, also he was a murderer and a cattle thief (blackmailer). He is best known by the anglicised version of his nickname , meaning 'the Red-haired Lad' and is sometimes compared with other popular outlaws such as Robin Hood and also Rob Roy MacGregor who lived later (1671–1734) and with whom he is sometimes confused. In June 1636 Sir James Grant of Freuchie and Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum and his wife Magdalene Scrimgeour were censured for harbouring him in their lands.

Gilderoy was executed in 1636; however, several highly adapted, greatly exaggerated and romanticised versions of his life have been published, some giving his year of death as late as 1658. A statue of Rob Roy MacGregor located above the Culter Burn. Rob Roy may never or rarely have visited Aberdeenshire and historically the statue would best represent Gilderoy.

Details of the trial and his execution Archibald, Lord Lorne, heritable justiciar of the South and North isles and the sheriffdom of Argyll had finally apprehended the "arch rebel" and on 7 June 1636 in Edinburgh the trial started

The tenants of Sir Robert Innes of Balvenie suffered several visits from Gilderoy who used violence to steal food and drink from them. In 1635 he, with others, stole four hens from the householder of Culquharnie. William Dougat of Auchihove and some of his men were taken prisoner and demanded a ransom of two hundred merks. A considerable number of similar and other offences are recorded involving common folk, lairds and even ministers and much more seriously he was involved in a number of "crewall slauchters" or murders. Gilderoy and Forbes were also to have their "..heidis be strukin af from thair bodies, with their richt handis, and the said Gilroy his heid and richt hand to be affixit on the eist or netherbow poirt of Edinburgh, and the said John Forbes his heid and richt hand to be put upone the wast poirt thairof ."

Popular versions of Gilderoy's life Several popular versions of his life were published such as Lives and Exploits of English Highwayman, Pirates and Robbers.

Gilderoy is said to have come from a good family with an estate in Perthshire that he inherits at the age of twenty one upon his father's death. Despite advice from friends and relations he quickly bankrupts the estate by his recklessness.

A considerable reward is offered for his capture and Gilderoy flees to France where he purchases fine clothes and finds himself one day in a cathedral near Paris where Cardinal Richelieu is preaching with the king in attendance. supposedly to cast a bad light on The Protectorate that was at the time of writing in power. Gilderoy is said to have discovered that Cromwell was passing through the wilds of Galloway after having landed at Portpatrick on his return from Ireland and decides to rob him. Although Cromwell has only two servants with him he opts to fight Gilderoy rather than submit to highway robbery, upon which Gilderoy opens fire and eventually pretends to flee and after a long chase suddenly halts, shoots and kills one of his pursuers, injures the other and shoots Cromwell's horse from under him, resulting in him breaking his leg. Gilderoy grants Cromwell his life, mounts him on an ass and sends him on his way. showing that despite the harsh and brutal reality of Gilderoy's life he had a romantic appeal; the original is said to have been composed shortly after his execution by a young woman who unfortunately was attached to him.

A 'black letter' copy of around 1650 shows that it was popular in England at that time and in 1702 it also appeared in Playford's "Wit and Mirth." A black letter copy is a name used for the early form of type used by the printers that gave the appearance of a hand written manuscript. John Niven, a Jacobite sympathiser, transcribed in the 1760s the tune "The Flowers of Scotland – Gilderoy".

The tune Gilderoy also appears in Thomas D'Urfey's Pills to Purge Melancholy of 1707 and in Tea Table Miscellany of circa 1726. It also appeared in Orpheus Caledonius of 1733.

The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable of 1870 records the expression "To be hung higher than Gilderoy's kite", meaning to receive a punishment that is more severe than that usually meted out to even the most despicable of criminals!

Of Gilderoy sae fraid they were, They bound him mickle strong, Tull Edenburrow they led him thair, And on a gallows hung; They hung him high aboon the rest, He was sae trim a boy...

One of the most recent supposed memorials to "Gilderoy" is that by Thomas Campbell (1777–1844) who wrote the ballad "Roslin Gilderoy", however this probably relates to a different person with the same nickname who in the eighteenth century was also hung in Edinburgh for stealing sheep, cattle, etc. This is the first stanza :-

The last, the fatal hour is come,, That bears my love from me: I hear the dead note of the drum, I mark the gallows' tree!

Micro-history Robert Burns used a version of the melody Gilderoy for the song From Thee Eliza.

Ann Gilrye was the mother of the pioneer conservationist John Muir who was born in Scotland at Dunbar. Because of the association with her surname the family adopted 'Gilderoy' as their song as can be seen at the John Muir Museum in Dunbar.

Professor Gilderoy Lockhart is a celebrity author and Hogwarts' new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.