The First Modern Terrorist

Most people with even a passing interest in 18th century history will be aware that it was a time of tremendous social and economic change. You may even remember some of the unutterably dull lessons on the Industrial Revolution you endured at school, telling the story of how Britain began its move from a rural/agricultural economy towards an urban/industrial base.

However, if Britain was taking the world lead in economic reform, the same could not be said of its political sphere. Indeed the political wonder of the 18th century, the United States of America, came about directly because of Britain's inability to reform itself in line with current political thinking and the expectations of an increasingly literate population at home and abroad. The writings of the French philosophes, whose egalitarian notions of basic human rights inspired American aspirations in the 1770s, found a very mixed reception in Britain. Yet the American Revolutionary War did have its supporters there, and among them was one Scotsman who became notorious for his solo sabotage attacks upon the Royal Navy.

For a full account of this individual's one man war upon England's dockyards, you should read Jessica Warner's book John the Painter : the first modern terrorist. In brief, John Aitken was an Edinburgh-born painter who used his knowledge of the chemicals available to him to create incendiary devices with which to attack the naval dockyards. John struggled to prosper in early life and took to crime and an unsettled life, moving from Scotland to London before eventually travelling to Virginia as an indentured servant. John ran from his employer there and made his way back to Britain, but again felt obliged to live by his wits and his light fingers. His scheme to attack the naval dockyards seems to have been born out of an overheard conversation in a tavern, to the effect that the dockyards were essential to the Royal Navy and therefore to the war against the colonies. It seems however that John was no political idealist; his motives seemed to be more personal. He resented the way he had been persistently rejected and mistreated by his own country, and he desired revenge of a most public nature. He dreamed of "accomplishing some great achievement" to make his mark upon a society that considered him of no account.

In how many more recent cases of terrorism are the motives similar? That would make a most interesting study. Yet without going very deeply into the matter, a number of 'social misfit' assassins come to mind, and it is perhaps a mistake to invariably credit those people we identify as terrorists as political extremists; it may be that in some cases other factors are the true motivators.

John Aitken began his campaign of arson at Portsmouth and Bristol, and he found security at the dockyards very lax. He started a major fire at the Portsmouth rope-walk and within a short space of time had the authorities desperately hunting for a gang of saboteurs. Yet John's striking success as an arsonist was short-lived. The King offered a reward of £1,000 for the arrest of the persons responsible, and John could not resist bragging about his activities. He was soon arrested and on 10th March 1777 he was hung on a 60ft scaffold, a ship's mizzenmast, at Portsmouth in front of 20,000 people. His body was gibbeted in an iron cage and remained swinging there for many years as a warning to all who contemplated such crimes.

I recommend Jessica Warner's book very highly. Not only are the events of the story described and analysed in detail, but the author's insights into the social and political life of the period are most acute.