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512:. The service was run from his premises in the Luckenbooths every hour on the hour and cost one penny. However, from its outset until 1776 Williamson's postal service ran in rivalry to the official postal service, only in 1776 did Williamson take over the official role as Postmaster, in a penny post system.
503:
Some time before 1774 Williamson introduced a postal service in
Edinburgh. This is evidenced in his Edinburgh Directory of that year, where he draws the public's attention to the fact that "the publisher" (i.e. himself) is willing to dispatch letters and packages up to 3 pounds in weight to any place
452:
In 1773 Williamson compiled the first
Edinburgh street directory in conjunction with his idea of setting up a regular postal service in the city. This comprised a list of streets and closes with the addresses of lawyers, merchants, officials and other notable gentlemen. Addresses of shops and taverns
181:
Though little acknowledged in history, there was in those days a thriving trade in stolen children and others. Those engaged in kidnapping were called "spirits", and many of those who were spirited away were taken to North
America. In January 1743, Williamson fell victim to the trade when he was
607:
Whilst
Bennett's statement may be slightly harsh, recent scholarship speculate that large parts of Williamson's narrative are in fact a fabrication; including possibly his marriage, his age at the time of his first kidnapping from Aberdeen, and most significantly his capture by Native Americans.
397:
Emboldened by this success, Williamson decided further to sue Bailie
William Fordyce and others, who he believed were personally responsible for his kidnapping. The case went before James Forbes, Sheriff-Substitute of Aberdeenshire, acting as arbiter. It seems that the defendants wined and dined
515:
Seventeen local shopkeepers spread throughout the city were paid to receive the letters, thus effectively creating the first "post offices". Four uniformed postmen were employed to deliver from the
Luckenbooths to the shops. Their hats were emblazoned with the words "Penny Post" and they were
611:
Whilst
Williamson's tale is "not to be trusted as an account of Indian Captivity," it is an interesting example of the popular literature genre Timothy J. Shannon has called "narratives of unfortunates." It is also a good example of anti-French propaganda during the
486:
drew him in Indian costume some time around 1768 and this drawing appeared in the preface of later editions of
Williamson's autobiography. It also appears as portrait No.128 in Kay's "Original Portraits", a collection of drawings of Edinburgh characters of the time.
405:
However, the case was referred to the Court of
Session in Edinburgh, and after Williamson produced hard evidence of the defendants' involvement, the Court reversed the Sheriff-Substitute's decision in December 1763. Williamson was awarded £200 damages plus 100
202:
for a period of seven years to a fellow Scot, Hugh Wilson. Wilson had himself been kidnapped as a boy and sold into indentured servitude, but, like many indentured servants, had earned his freedom. He may have therefore sympathised with Peter's situation.
321:
in relation to his accusations of their involvement in his original kidnapping. Since the same magistrates he was accusing were also judging him, a guilty verdict was perhaps inevitable. Surplus copies of his book were seized and burned publicly at the
206:
Williamson said Wilson treated him kindly, and when the latter died in 1750, just before the end of the indenture, he bequeathed the boy £120 plus his best horse and saddle and all his clothes. This helped bring about a change in Peter's fortunes.
226:
Indians and he was taken prisoner. The house was plundered and burned to the ground. Williamson related that he was forced to march many miles acting as a pack-mule for the
Cherokees and that, whilst with them, he witnessed many murders and
314:" and giving displays of Indian life, e.g. demonstrating war-cries and dancing, to help sell further copies of his book which he carried around with him. In June 1758 he finally returned to Aberdeen, some 15 years after his kidnapping.
453:
were also included, thereby not only hugely aiding navigation in the city but creating what is now a very valuable historical source. The Directory cost one shilling and was published regularly with relevant updates until 1796.
597:
The veracity of Williamson's captivity story was challenged almost as soon as it was first printed, and the work has always been seen as suspect among professional historians. In a 1964 article for the quarterly journal
638:
French and Indian Cruelty, exemplified in the Life and various Vicissitudes of Fortune of Peter Williamson, who was carried off from Aberdeen in his Infancy and sold as a slave in Pennsylvania
285:
French and Indian Cruelty, exemplified in the Life and various Vicissitudes of Fortune of Peter Williamson, who was carried off from Aberdeen in his Infancy and sold as a slave in Pennsylvania
283:
his stories aroused the interest of some "honourable and influential men" who encouraged him to write about his exploits. With their backing he published his account under the title
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in Aberdeenshire, he was forcibly taken to North America at an early age, but succeeded in returning to Scotland where he eventually became a well-known character in 18th century
1093:
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but this ran only from 8 March until 30 August 1776. It was issued each Friday and contained articles and local gossip. He tried to revive this in 1777 under the title
519:
The service was the first regular and continuous postal service in Scotland, and ran under Williamson's control for 30 years. In 1793, it was integrated into the
449:
and travelled to exhibitions and fairs to promote his new product. He also invented waterproof ink for stamping linen which withstood both boiling and bleaching.
600:
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were suspected of colluding with the traffickers; an estimated 600 children disappeared from the port when the trade was at its height between 1740 and 1746.
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by the common hangman. Williamson was made to sign a statement stating that his claims were false, fined five shillings and banished from Aberdeen as a
290:
A thousand copies of the book were sold, earning Williamson a profit of £30, which allowed him to continue his journey to Scotland in comparative ease.
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At the age of 24, Williamson married the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner and was given a dowry of 200 acres of land close to the frontier of
1023:
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where he arrived in November 1756. Having a damaged left hand from being wounded, he was discharged from the army as unfit and given a small
44:
499:
1774 entire wrapper posted in Peter Williamson's postal service with "E. Penny Post Not Paid" circular handstamp in black ink on the reverse
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After several months he escaped and made his way back to his father-in-law's home, where he learnt that his wife had died in his absence.
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to pass on any information he had acquired during his captivity. Whilst there, he enlisted in an army regiment raised to combat in the
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567:, where he seems to have become an alcoholic. He died "of a decline" in January 1799, aged 74, and was buried on 22 January.
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kidnapped while playing on the quay at Aberdeen. His autobiography gives his age as eight at the time. Some of the Aberdeen
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445:. He taught himself the craft of printing using a portable press purchased in London. He then invented his own portable
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174:. He described his parents as "reputable though not rich" and at an early age was sent to live with a maiden aunt in
110:
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Having read his book, some of the lawyers encouraged him to sue the Aberdeen magistrates. The case was heard in the
1058:
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482:
in June 1759 showing Williamson in full "Delaware Indian" dress with tomahawk and scalping knife. The caricaturist
1068:
645:
Some Considerations of the Current State of Affairs Wherein the Defenceless State of Great Britain is Pointed Out
585:
His Street Directory was taken over in 1800 by Thomas Aitchison who had a printworks on Fleshmarket Close in the
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In 1777 he married Jean the daughter of John Wilson, a bookseller in Edinburgh. They divorced in 1788.
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He set off to walk from Plymouth back to Aberdeen (almost exactly 1000 km). Arriving penniless in
993:
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and Williamson received £25 for the goodwill of the business and a pension of 25 shillings per year.
578:. Whilst the grave is unmarked, he is at least commemorated today by tour guides. His obituary in "
571:
912:
Shannon, Timothy J. "King of the Indians: The Hard Fate and Curious Career of Peter Williamson".
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Travels of Peter Williamson amongst the Different Nations and Tribes of Savage Indians in America
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37:
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820: One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
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While he was selling copies of his book in Aberdeen, the authorities charged Williamson with
242:
138:", was a Scottish memoirist who was part-showman, part-entrepreneur and inventor. Born in a
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numbered 1, 4, 8 and 16 (giving the impression that the business was bigger than it was).
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The penny post was formalised by Act of Parliament in 1799 following Williamson's death.
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604:, J. Bennett Nolan qualified Williamson as "one of the greatest liars who ever lived."
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The north-east section of Old Calton Burial Ground where Peter Williamson was buried
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R Chambers, Traditions of Edinburgh, W & R Chambers Ltd., Edinburgh 1947, p.114
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of this in an autobiography and by touring Scotland and England in the guise of a "
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622:, sheds light on the colonial construction and representation of native peoples.
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In his final years Williamson returned to running a tavern, this time in the
391:
268:. He was then granted status as an "exchange prisoner" and sent on a ship to
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In a now repeating pattern he was captured by French troops and marched to
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in Edinburgh and the judges found unanimously in Williamson's favour. The
430:
Indian costume stood at the head of the close to advertise its location.
899:
Nolan, J. Bennett. "Peter Williamson in America, a Colonial Odyssey".
783:
A History of the United States: A century of colonial history, 1660-1760
468:
but this second venture ran only from 29 August until 14 November 1777.
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which became a favourite resort of Edinburgh lawyers and their clients.
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Indian Peter: The Extraordinary Life and Adventures of Peter Williamson
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155:
426:, in allusion to his time in North America. A wooden figure of him in
938:
The Revenge of Indian Peter: The Incredible Story of Peter Williamson
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146:. He adopted the pseudonym "Indian Peter" due to his time spent with
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J K Gillon, Eccentric Edinburgh, Moubray House, Edinburgh 1990, p.30
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where he settled for the remainder of his life. Here he opened a
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them. The decree was read out at the mercat cross the next day.
245:. In the following two years he rose to the rank of lieutenant.
427:
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Williamson's new-found wealth enabled him to open a tavern in
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As he travelled northwards, Williamson took to dressing as a "
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The Royal Abdication of Peter Williamson, King of the Mohawks
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The poet Robert Fergusson again referred to Williamson in
398:
Forbes generously ahead of his final deliberations and he
797:
D Daiches, Edinburgh, Hamish Hamilton, London 1978, p.139
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Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies
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On the night of 2 October 1754 his farm was attacked by
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Anon. "Peter Williamson and the Edinburgh Penny Post".
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Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies
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He was buried in ground belonging to John Scott in the
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A Curious Collection of Moral Maxims and Wise Sayings
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Williamson was born the son of James Williamson in a
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People of Pennsylvania in the French and Indian War
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
433:In 1769 Williamson opened a printing shop in the
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508:, as well as to properties in North and South
424:Peter Williamson, Vintner From The Other World
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394:were forced to pay him £100 in compensation.
219:, where he settled down to live as a farmer.
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539: Dispersing of the burial letters
1049:Scottish emigrants to the Thirteen Colonies
987:The Edinburgh Directory For The Year 1773-4
836:. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
667:A Nominal Encomium on the City of Edinburgh
652:A Brief Account of the War in North America
237:He was called before the State Assembly in
127:"Indian Peter" dressed as a Delaware Indian
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1034:18th-century Scottish publishers (people)
968:. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing, 2005
849:Grant's Old and New Edinburgh vol.2 p.356
574:in Edinburgh, 15 metres northeast of the
366: On Indian Peter's coffee-room
134:(1730 – 19 January 1799), also known as "
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
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531:Codicile to Robert Fergusson's Last Will
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478:in London has a print which appeared in
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691:Proposals for Establishing a Penny Post
456:In 1776 he launched a weekly magazine,
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593:Veracity of Indian captivity narrative
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1024:18th-century Scottish businesspeople
49:adding citations to reliable sources
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1064:Burials at Old Calton Burial Ground
931:Philatelic Journal of Great Britain
541:That they may pass with little cost
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954:. St. Andrews: F. McDonnell, 1994
952:The Adventures of Peter Williamson
940:. Lewes, Sussex: Book Guild, 2006
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881:Scotsman (newspaper) 10 April 2017
768:America at 1750: A Social Portrait
663:(Edinburgh, 1768) (reprinted 1786)
543: Fleet on the wings of
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1099:People convicted of speech crimes
1074:People from colonial Pennsylvania
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673:A General View of the Whole World
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60:"Peter Williamson" memoirist
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994:Four of Williamson's Directories
833:Dictionary of National Biography
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537:To Williamson, and his resetters
372:In wine the soukar biskets soom
249:Third capture/return to Scotland
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858:Edinburgh Street Directory 1799
368:For a' his china pigs are toom
360:to this popular establishment:
36:needs additional citations for
16:18th-century Scottish memoirist
1039:18th-century British inventors
989:, National Library of Scotland
914:The William and Mary Quarterly
869:"National Records of Scotland"
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374: As light's a flee
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364:This vacance is a heavy doom
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698:Printed by Peter Williamson
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576:Political Martyrs' Monument
338:Williamson then headed for
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1084:Kidnapped British children
441:and the north side of the
211:Continuing life in America
1079:American domestic workers
476:National Portrait Gallery
370: Nor do we see
358:The Rising of the Session
259:French and Indian Cruelty
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572:Old Calton Burial Ground
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422:bearing a sign worded,
304:Mercat Cross, Edinburgh
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950:McDonnell, Frances.
727:The Rabblers Rabbled
306:(reconstructed 1885)
45:improve this article
936:Linnell, Rosemary.
681:(Edinburgh, c.1772)
675:(Edinburgh, c.1770)
616:, and like Defoe's
521:General Post Office
384:Provost of Aberdeen
270:Plymouth in England
1054:People from Aboyne
964:Skelton, Douglas.
933:. (November 1938).
916:66.1 (2009): 3–44.
785:, pp. 368-369, by
772:Richard Hofstadter
693:(Edinburgh c.1773)
687:(Edinburgh c.1775)
580:The Scots Magazine
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480:The Grand Magazine
439:St Giles High Kirk
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294:Return to Scotland
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200:indentured servant
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974:978-1-845960-32-2
828:Williamson, Peter
734:(Edinburgh 1783)
715:(Edinburgh, 1776)
712:Sir David Lindsay
706:(Edinburgh, 1779)
669:(Edinburgh, 1769)
655:(Edinburgh, 1760)
466:The New Scots Spy
462:Critical Observer
152:self-exploitation
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732:An Accurate View
614:Seven Years' War
420:Parliament Close
414:Fame and fortune
380:Court of Session
354:Robert Fergusson
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
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1014:1799 deaths
1009:1730 births
903:31.1 (1964)
1003:Categories
739:References
565:Lawnmarket
545:penny-post
443:Royal Mile
400:exonerated
312:Red Indian
162:Early life
156:Red Indian
71:newspapers
340:Edinburgh
334:Edinburgh
229:scalpings
144:Edinburgh
587:old Town
484:John Kay
437:between
428:Delaware
390:and the
274:gratuity
224:Cherokee
176:Aberdeen
150:and his
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408:guineas
388:bailies
386:, four
328:vagrant
184:bailies
85:scholar
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266:Quebec
172:Aboyne
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551:Death
510:Leith
319:libel
168:croft
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956:ISBN
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