Events for June 02
June 2, 1581
James Douglas, Scottish inventor of the guillotine (the Maiden), guillotined.
James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton (c. 1525 - June 02, 1581), was the last, and arguably the most successful, of the four regents of Scotland during the minority of King James VI. However he met an unfortunate end: during his time as regent he introduced the maiden, a primitive guillotine, to Scotland, and he was eventually executed by it himself. He was executed by the maiden–a guillotine he had himself brought from England–on the 2nd of June 1581. He is buried at Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh
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