The Grassmarket in Edinburgh was a traditional place of execution and in 1728 Maggie Dickson was to have met her judicially approved end there.

Her heinous crime was to have concealed the death of her illegitimate baby.

She was hanged and her body carted to Musselburgh for burial. As the cart passed over cobbles, her attendants heard noises from the coffin. Swiftly opening it, they found a very much alive corpse.

The official view was that it was impossible to hang someone who had already been pronounced dead. Therefore, and Maggie was set free and was tagged with the nickname "half-hangit Maggie".

She died of old age, after successfully bearing many more children.