James Sharp, Archbishop of St Andrews, was particularly loathed by radical Covenanters for having switched loyalties at the time of the Restoration and thus reneging on his belief in the need to get rid of all trappings of Church hierarchy. He had seriously compromised himself, as they saw it, by accepting a bishopric, and would have to pay the price for his betrayal. This account of his murder on Magus Muir is by James Russell, one of his murderers. We join the story when the nervous group of conspirators are told that the Archbishop’s coach has been spied.
… whereupon all the 9 rode what they could to Magusmuir, the hills at the nearest, and Andrew Henderson riding afore, being best mounted, and saw them when he was on the top of the hill, and all the rest came up and rode very hard, for the coach was driving hard; and being come near Magus, George Fleman and James Russell riding into the town, and James asked at the goodman if that was the bishop’s coach? He fearing, did not tell, but one of his servants, a woman, came running to him and said it was the bishop’s coach, and she seemed to be overjoyed; and James riding towards the coach, to be sure, seeing the bishop looking out at the door, cast away his cloak and cried, Judas be taken!
The bishop cried to the coachman to drive; he firing at him, crying to the rest to come up, and the rest throwing away their cloaks except Rathillet, … fired into the coach driving very fast about half a mile, in which time they fired several shots in at all parts of the coach, and Alexander Henderson seeing one Wallace having a cock’d carrabine going to fire, gript him in the neck, and threw him down and pulled it out of his hand. Andrew Henderson outran the coach, and stroke the horse in the face with his sword; and James Russell coming to the postiling [postilion], commanded him to stand, which he refusing, he stroke him on the face and cut down the side of his shine, and striking at the horse next brake his sword, and gripping the ringeses [harness] of the foremost horse in the farthest side: George Fleman fir’d a pistol at the north side of the coach beneath his left arm, and saw his daughter dight of the furage [brush off the wad (of a gun)]; and riding forward, gripping the horses’ bridles in the nearest side and held them still, George Balfour fired likewise, and James Russell got George Fleman’s sword and lighted of his horse, and ran to the coach door, and desired the bishop to come forth, Judas.
He answered, he never wronged a man: James declared before the Lord that it was no particular interest, nor yet for any wrong that he had done to him, but because he had betrayed the church as Judas, and had wrung his hands these 18 or 19 years in the blood of the saints, but especially at Pentland … and they were sent to execute his vengeance on him this day, and desired him to repent and come forth; and John Balfour on horseback said, Sir, God is our witness that it is not for any wrong thou hast done to me, nor yet for any fear of what thou could do to me, but because thou has been a murderer of many a poor soul in the kirk of Scotland, and a betrayer of the church, and an open enemy and persecutor of Jesus Christ and his members, whose blood thou hast shed like water on the earth, and therefore thou shalt die! And fired a pistol; and James Russell desired him again to come forth and make him for death, judgement, and eternity; and the bishop said, Save my life, and I will save all yours.
James answered, that he knew it was not in his power either to save or to kill us, for there was no saving of his life, for the blood that he had shed was crying to heaven for vengeance on him, and thrust his shabel [rusty old sword] at him. John Balfour desired him again to come forth, and he answered, I will come to you, for I know you are a gentleman and will save my life; but I am gone already, and what needs more? And another told him of keeping up of a pardon granted by the king for 9 persons at Pentland, and then at the back side of the coach thrust a sword at him, threatening him to go forth; whereupon he went forth, and falling upon his knees, said, For God’s sake, save my life; his daughter falling on her knees, begging his life also. But they told him that he should die, and desired him to repent and make for death.
Alexander Henderson said, Seeing there has been lives taken for you already, and if ours be taken it shall not be for nought; he rising of his knees went forward, and John Balfour stroke him on the face, and Andrew Henderson stroke him on the hand and cut it, and John Balfour rode him down; whereupon he, lying upon his face as if he had been dead, and James Russell hearing his daughter say to Wallace that there was life in him yet, in the time James was disarming the rest of the bishop’s men, went presently to him and cast of his hat, for it would not cut at first, and haked his head in pieces.
Having thus done, his daughter came to him and cursed him, and called him a bloody murderer; and James answered they were not murderers, for they were sent to execute God’s vengeance on him; and presently went to the coach, and finding a pair of pistols, took them, and then took out a trunk and brake it up, and finding nothing but women’s furniture, asked what should be done with it; and it was answered, that they would have nothing but papers and arms; and Andrew Henderson lighted, and took a little box and brake it up, and finding some papers, which he took; and opening a cloak-bag they found more papers and a Bible full of porterers [portraits], with a little purse hung in it, a copper dollar, two pistol ball, two turners, two stamps, some coloured thread, and some yellow coloured thing like to pairings of nails, which would not burn, which they took.
At this time James Russell was taking the rest of his men’s arms, and Wallace, as he would have resisted, came roundly forward, and James Russell smote him on the cheek with his shabel and riped all their pockets, and got some papers and a knife and fork, which he took; and crying to the rest to see that the bishop be dead, William Danziel lighted, and went and thrust his sword into his belly, and the dirt came out; turning him over, ript his pockets, and found a whinger and knifes conform, with some papers, which he took. James Russell desired his servants to take up their priest now.