The Martyr and the May Dip

Patrick Hamilton was the first Scotsman to be martyred in St Andrews.  Born in 1504, he was the son of Sir Patrick Hamilton and Catherine Stewart, the daughter of Alexander, Duke of Albany who was the son of King JamesII of Scotland.

In 1517, when he was only 13 years old, young Patrick Hamilton became titular abbot of Fearn Abbey in Ross-shire.  This brought him enough income to study at the University of Paris, where he became a Master of Arts in 1520 and returned to Scotland in 1523.

In 1524 he was admitted to the faculty of arts in St Andrews university, and became preceptor of the cathedral, performing a musical mass of his own composition there. 

However, while he had been in Europe, he had been greatly influenced by the teachings of Martin Luther, and his own preaching betrayed signs of Luther's influence.  This came to the attention of Archbishop James Beaton, who ordered that Hamilton should be formally tried for heresy in early 1527.

Patrick Hamilton was urged to leave the country by his friends, and fled to Germany, but, having been inspired again by Luther while in Europe, he returned to Scotland again in the autumn of 1527.  Archbishop Beaton heard of his return, but allowed him to come back to St Andrews and encouraged other members of the university to spy on him and gather proof of his heretical beliefs.  After all, it didn't make sense to condemn the grandson of the king without incontestable evidence.

Patrick Hamilton was seized for heresy and sentenced to death by burning.  At noon on the 29th February 1528 he was tied to the stake in front of the gates of St Salvator's quad, and his pyre lit.  Unfortunately, his executioners were inexperienced and used green wood for the fire.  This wood that was still not dry enough to give the fire a strong heart, combined with a strong wind blowing down North Street, meant that while the fire set the cowl of Friar Campbell, his betrayer, ablaze, it did not burn fiercely enough where Patrick Hamilton stood.

As a result of this, it took Patrick Hamilton six hours to die.  Crowds had gathered on North Street to watch the execution, and were sickened by what they saw.  It is said that "the reek of Patrick Hamilton infected all it blew on."

Over the years and centuries that followed, a strange face appeared on the wall above the site of the execution.  It's believed that this face represents Patrick Hamilton, and was put there when his soul collided with the tower in its haste to reach Heaven.

Centuries later, the initials "PH" were set into the cobblestones to mark the place of his execution, and students try to avoid stepping on these initials because, if they do, it's considered an "academic sin" which means they'll never graduate.  The only way that they can absolve themself of this academic sin is to get up before dawn on Mayday morning, strip down to their underwear, and run into the North Sea until it's over their heads.  This is something they do every year in the May Dip.