Hardly anyone present at the public execution of Margaret Dixon hoped to see her alive again. But everything turned out differently.
On September 2, 1724, Edinburgh's main square was crowded. People were hungry for a spectacle - a woman named Margaret Dixon was sentenced to death by hanging.
Everything went as usual - the death of the woman was witnessed by the court, a doctor and church representatives.
There was only one small incident that was quickly settled. When John Dalgliesh, the woman's executioner, untied her hands, she tried to loosen the noose. But the crowd quickly threw a couple of stones at the executioner and he stopped all the victim's manipulations.
A cart with a coffin left Edinburgh for Musselburg - the birthplace of Dixon. However, the funeral procession never made it to its destination.
Relatives and friends accompanying the body stopped at one of the roadside hotels for a bite to eat and refreshments. The coffin remained in the yard.
Suddenly shouts and knocking began to be heard from him. Incredibly, Margaret was still alive!
The girl's father pulled her out of the coffin and took her to the hospital in Masselburg. She soon fully recovered.
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A harsh sentence
Margaret Dixon was sentenced to death for infanticide. There are different versions of how and why this happened.
The woman traded in fish and salt until her husband, a fisherman, left her in 1723. Perhaps he went to work, or maybe he met another - history has not preserved details.
Anyway, a woman with two children was left without a livelihood.
Soon she got a job at a small hotel in Kelso Bay, where she had an affair with the son of an innkeeper and became pregnant.
There were few options for women like Maggie in those days. She, a married woman, became pregnant by a lover much younger than her! In addition, she risked being left on the street without a piece of bread.
The young father quickly retired from the life of his beloved, and she, as best she could, hid her pregnancy to the last. It is not known whether the birth was premature and whether the baby was alive or stillborn. It is only known that a tiny body was found by a fisherman on the banks of the river - the woman was never able to throw the baby into the running water.
When the truth was revealed, Margaret claimed that the child was born still and much earlier than the due date. However, in the eyes of the law it did not matter - she violated the Law on concealing pregnancy. It was for this crime that she was sent to Edinburgh to stand trial.
New life
What happened to Maggie after her “awakening”?
According to Scottish law at the time, her sentence had already been carried out.
Since the woman had already been hanged, she could no longer be sent to the gallows. In addition, in this case, the officials saw "God's will" for her to continue to live.
Maggie was reunited with her husband and soon they had a son. She returned to selling fish and salt.
They say that after her miraculous salvation, Dixon, who was never distinguished by special piety, prayed daily until her death.
The exact date of her death is unknown, but the last information about her life dates back to 1753.
