The declaration and confession of Robert Watt : $b Written, subscribed, & delivered by himself, the evening before his execution, for high treason, at Edinburgh, October 15, 1794

In the waning hours before his execution on an October night in 1794, Robert Watt penned a solemn declaration that was sealed, witnessed, and delivered to the authorities of Edinburgh. The manuscript begins with a practical inventory of his few remaining belongings and a request that they be passed to a baker who had lent him money, while also entrusting his papers to two clergymen for careful handling. This stark, almost bureaucratic opening sets a tone of quiet resignation, inviting listeners into the intimate moment of a man confronting his fate.

What follows is a surprisingly vivid meditation on faith, guilt and the forces that led Watt to be condemned for high treason. He recounts a childhood steeped in religious fervor, the relentless cycle of prayer and penitence, and the profound inner conflict between his spiritual convictions and the temptations that haunted him. The confession offers a rare, personal glimpse into the moral landscape of late‑18th‑century Scotland, blending legal testimony with a heartfelt quest for redemption.