Baby Killer? Sgeulachd Jessie King

Open subtitles

Original version

BBC ALBA

BBC ALBA HD

John Morrison

Docudramas

Factual: Crime & Justice

Baby Killer?

22/01/2015

BBC ALBA - Baby Killer? Sgeulachd Jessie King

The story of Jessie King - the last woman executed in Edinburgh.

Documentary examining the case of Jessie King, who in 1889 was hanged in Edinburgh for the murder of her three adopted children.

Air an ochdamh latha deug dhen Ghearran, 1889, thoisich cùis-lagh uamhais san àrd-chùirt ann an Dùn Eideann. Fo chasaid bha boireanach òg, 27 bliadhn' a dh'aois, airson triùir phàisdean a mhurt. Chan ann leatha fhèin a bha a chlann - bha iad aice air uchd mhacach, tro chleachdadh borb aig an àm ris an canar 'baby farming'.

Ach cha robh an coltas ann gun robh càil a dhùil aig Jessie King an triùir phàisde a thug i a-steach airson airgead a chumail. Bochd, gun foghlum agus gun taic bho dhuine - bha beatha dhuilich aig Jessie King.

A-rèir coltais dhèanadh i rud sam bith a dh'iarradh daoine ann an ùghdarras oirre. An dùil an tug a cèile, a bha 30 bliadhna nas aosta na i, brath air a' sin? Trom air deoch làidir, is gun obair, dh'fheumadh e dòigh air choireigin a' lorg airson a chumail a' dol... Le beachdan bho eòlaichean agus iomhaighean dràma, air aithris le Iain Moireasdan.

On 18th February 1889 at the High Court in Edinburgh, a shocking trial opened. The defendant was a 27-year-old woman, accused of the murders of three babies. She was not their mother, but had adopted them by a crude means known as 'baby farming'.

But Jessie King had no intention of keeping the babies she had taken in for money. Vulnerable, uneducated and penniless, the young woman struggled to survive. She appeared willing to do whatever was asked of her, by anyone she saw as a figure of authority.

Could it be that Jessie's lover took advantage of her easily manipulated nature? 30 years her senior, and an unemployed alcoholic, Thomas Pearson had to find ways and means to feed his addiction. With expert opinion and drama reconstruction, the programme is presented by John Morrison.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Baby Killer? Sgeulachd Jessie King

Contributors

Genres

Formats

BBC ALBA

About BBC ALBA