Thomas Binning was born in 1620

Thomas Binning was born in 1620. At the age of nineteen, he took part in the Battle of the Downs.

Thomas was master gunner at Edinburgh Castle when it was besieged by the Roundheads in 1650.

Following his execution in May that year, the Marquis of Montrose’s head had been stuck on a pike on the Tolbooth.

Deciding that it had been there long enough, the master gunner decided to bring it down. Narrowly missing the target, the ball dislodged a block of stone, killing a drummer and two Roundheads in the High Street.

The garrison surrendered to the Roundheads at midday on Christmas Eve 1650. The defenders were permitted to march out of the fortress with drums beating and their colour flying.

In addition to Mons Meg, the Roundheads captured seventy pieces of cannon.

Photograph of Mons Meg courtesy of Historic Scotland.