ROMEO AND JULIET IN PAISLEY! - THE SAD STORY OF Jean Cochrane -

In the 17th century, the town of Paisley bore witness to its own tragic romance reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. This poignant love story unfolded amidst a tumultuous period in Scottish history, characterized by fierce conflict between two factions vying for religious liberty. The Episcopalians, loyal to the established church under the king and his bishops, clashed violently with the Covenanters, who sought freedom of worship. Among the key figures was John Graham of Claverhouse, a staunch royalist known affectionately as “Bonnie Dundee” by his supporters, yet reviled as “Bloody Clavers” by his adversaries. His heart was captured by the enchanting Jean Cochrane, the third daughter of William Lord Cochrane, a fervent Covenanter whose ancestral home graced the Place of Paisley. Jean's lineage was steeped in Covenanter allegiance, with her grandfather, the Earl of Cassilis, and her uncle, Cochrane of Ochiltree, both notable figures in the movement. Following her father's death in 1679, Jean relocated to Edinburgh, where she encountered the dashing Claverhouse, and their love blossomed. Despite the disapproval of Jean's mother, who loathed Claverhouse and branded him a “Persecutor” for his merciless actions against the Covenanters, and the apprehensions of Claverhouse's supporters, who whispered that his affections for Jean were more fervent than his pursuit of rebels, love ultimately prevailed. The couple's union was solemnized at Paisley Abbey on June 10, 1684, amidst the grandeur of the Cochrane family estate. However, during the wedding festivities, news reached Claverhouse of a Covenanter assembly nearby. Without hesitation, he donned his military attire, mounted his steed “Satan,” and galloped off with his troops to confront the insurgents. It was said that no groom had ever returned more weary and worn than Claverhouse, who dismounted three days later, eager to reclaim his beloved bride. A year hence, Claverhouse's fate would take a fateful turn. A year later, Claverhouse was taken off the list of Privy Councillors due to concerns about his marriage into the fervently loyal Cochranes family, which made it deemed unsafe to share the King's secrets with him. Nevertheless, King James II pardoned him and elevated him to the title of Viscount Dundee. Soon after, Jean welcomed a son into the world, but her joy was fleeting. Her husband met his end at the Battle of Killiecrankie, fighting for the deposed King James against the new ruler, William of Orange. Tragically, by the year's end, Jean's infant son also passed away. A few years later, Jean wed Colonel William Livingston, Viscount Kilsyth, one of her late husband's officers. They chose to leave Scotland and establish their home in Holland, where a sizable Scottish community thrived. In 1695, they welcomed a son. That same year, Jean, her husband, their child, and the family maid were staying at an old inn in Utrecht, unaware that a significant amount of peat was stored in the loft above them. The freshly cut clods, weighed down by recent rain, posed a hidden danger. Suddenly, with no warning except for a loud crack, the loft floor collapsed. Jean, her infant son, and their devoted maid lost their lives, while her husband miraculously emerged unscathed. The bodies of Jean and her baby were carefully embalmed in Holland and eventually returned to Scotland, where they were interred in the Kilsyth family tomb at Kilsyth Church. However, Jean's tale did not conclude there. In 1795, an Edinburgh newspaper recounted an incident where curious young men visited her grave and, driven by intrigue, opened the lead coffin. They discovered the remarkably preserved bodies of mother and son. Their remains were sketched and documented before being reburied. When the church was later demolished, the vault was filled in. In 1850, a grand monument commemorating their tragic deaths was erected nearby. Much like Shakespeare's Juliet, this young woman from Paisley lived a tumultuous life that ended in sorrow.