John Baird (born 1 September 1790, died in

Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...

, 8 September 1820) was a Scottish revolutionary. A weaver by trade, he was brought up in the village of Condorrat. He is best remembered as a radical commander in the "

Radical War The Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest in Scotland, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which had become prominent in the ear ...

" of 1820, and along with

James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...

and Andrew Hardie is the best remembered radical combatant in the "Radical War". Baird had a military career in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, serving in the 2nd Battalion of the 95th Regiment of Foot (known as the Rifle Brigade) seeing military action in both

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. His military experience meant that he was suitable to become commander of the Radicals in their doomed march to the Carron Ironworks. He was sentenced to death and was executed outside

Stirling Tolbooth Stirling Tolbooth is a municipal building in Broad Street, Stirling, Scotland. The structure, which was the original meeting place of Stirling Burgh Council, is a Category A listed building. History The first building on the site was a mediev ...

on 8 September 1820 along with Hardie. He is remembered as a martyr to the fight for

universal suffrage Universal suffrage (also called universal franchise, general suffrage, and common suffrage of the common man) gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or political stan ...

by many figures in Scotland, particularly the 1820 Society.

References

1790 births 1820 deaths Executed revolutionaries Rifle Brigade soldiers British Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars People from North Lanarkshire 19th-century Scottish people Scottish soldiers Scottish activists Scottish people executed for treason against the United Kingdom 19th-century executions by the United Kingdom 1820 crimes in the United Kingdom {{Scotland-bio-stub