Springburn Virtual Museum

Community life

Rededication of Martyrs' Monument, Sighthill Cemetery, 1986

In 1820, there was a climate of unrest amongst poor and oppressed workers clamouring for the improvement of their conditions through parliamentary reform. The government of the time sought to make examples of some of the Radicals, as they were known, and sent 'agents-provocateurs' to deliberately stir up open insurrection so that the Radicals could be arrested.

John Baird of Glasgow and Andrew Hardie of Condorrat, both weavers, were persuaded by the government spies to take up arms in revolt with their fellow workers, and to march north from Glasgow to meet up with a promised army of Radical comrades. Instead, they were ambushed by English troops, arrested as 'ringleaders' of the insurrection, and later hanged for treason at Stirling. Nineteen others were transported to Australia.

Their monument, which includes the name of another Radical, James Wilson of Strathaven, was erected by public subscription, but eventually fell into neglect. An appeal by the 1820 Society raised £5000 for its renovation, a sum matched by the City Council, and the monument was rededicated in 1986 at a ceremony attended by civic and trade union representatives and local schoolchildren.

Source: Glasgow City Archives