Talk:William Brodie

William Brodie / Brody

Hi, when you search for William Brody it takes you to a page on some American guy, I think it should take you to a disambig. page including this one. Can someone more adept at these things sort that out please? Thanks.VenomousConcept (talk) 17:53, 27 April 2012 (UTC)

Popular culture

1980/90s Edinburgh band Goodbye Mr Mackenzie had a song about DB called "Here Comes Deacon Brodie" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.133.198.165 (talk) 16:36, 26 June 2017 (UTC)

Requested move 12 November 2017

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the move request was: not moved. (non-admin closure) Regards, Krishna Chaitanya Velaga (talk • mail) 05:27, 20 November 2017 (UTC)

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William Brodie → Deacon BrodieDeacon Brodie – WP:PSEUDONYM; the article itself says "more commonly known by his prestigious title of Deacon Brodie" NE Ent 20:11, 12 November 2017 (UTC)

This is a contested technical request (permalink). Anthony Appleyard (talk) 23:22, 12 November 2017 (UTC)

• Oppose. Violates WP:NCPEOPLE and MOS:HONORIFIC. And wording like that is not permissible in the lead per WP:NPOV.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ >^ʌⱷ҅_ᴥⱷ^ʌ<  20:34, 12 November 2017 (UTC)
• @NE Ent and SMcCandlish: queried move request Anthony Appleyard (talk) 23:25, 12 November 2017 (UTC)
  • See also ..., and Ian Rankin calls him Deacon Brodie in Knots and Crosses, which is how I heard of this guy in the first place -- but ya'll call the article whatever you like. NE Ent 00:26, 13 November 2017 (UTC)

    I don't think anyone's questioning whether some sources call him that.  — SMcCandlish ☏ ¢ >^ʌⱷ҅_ᴥⱷ^ʌ<  02:28, 13 November 2017 (UTC)

• Oppose "William Brodie (28 September 1741 – 1 October 1788), often known by his title of Deacon Brodie, was a Scottish cabinet-maker, deacon of a trades guild, ..." the lead doesn't inspire confidence that this move is required. Having said that wondering if William Brodie (burglar) might be better given the sculptor. In ictu oculi (talk) 08:41, 13 November 2017 (UTC)

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The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Partly for the thrill?

The lead says that his secret life as a burglar was "partly for the thrill". I am not aware of any source that justifies this statement. Everything that I have read about Brodie indicates that he was motivated entirely by the need for money, mainly to support his mistresses and his gambling addiction. Does anyone have any further information about this? Mike Marchmont (talk) 09:34, 30 March 2025 (UTC)

In the absence of any comments on the above, I have now deleted the statement in question. If any editor disagrees, feel free to re-instate - with an appropriate citation. Mike Marchmont (talk) 14:48, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

If you need a source for the exact quote: "... partly for the thrill and to fund his gambling habits". Not to say that it is true; but to provide a source. Maineartists (talk) 20:15, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

Many thanks for that link, @Maineartists:. The NLS is obviously a reliable source. I might reinstate it, but probably not in the lead, and making it clear that it is a quote. However, I might have a read of the book at the NLS first. It might be a source for some of the other missing citations in this article. Mike Marchmont (talk) 07:26, 8 April 2025 (UTC)

Possibly incorrect timeline

On 21/4/25, @Al Begamut: placed a "clarification needed" tag in the article, in relation to the timeline of Brodie's flight from Edinburgh. He wrote:

"If he left Edinburgh on 6 March, then travelled for 18 days to Dover, he would have arrived there on 24 March; yet he then went to London and stayed there until 23 March? The dates and durations don't reconcile."

There are clearly errors in the article. In particular, Brodie left Edinburgh on the 9 March, not 6th. He did not travel to Dover, but only went as far as London, where he arrived on the 12th. He stayed with a "female friend" until 23rd, when he boarded Endeavour. The ship set sail the following morning.

My main source for the above is William Roughead's account of Brodies trial. Furthermore, Grant's Old and New Edinburgh states that the King's Messenger pursued Brodie to Dover where he lost the trail, but it does not explicitly state that Brodie actually travelled to Dover. I think this explains the confusion.

Unless any editor has any better information or further comment about any of this, I will try to edit the article accordingly. Mike Marchmont (talk) 17:46, 27 December 2025 (UTC)

I have now rewritten the relevant paragraph. I hope this now clears up the confusion. If any editor disagrees with this edit, let's discuss/ Mike Marchmont (talk) 16:35, 6 January 2026 (UTC)