Socialist John Maclean was tried for sedition - On this day in history

On 9 May 1918, Glasgow socialist John Maclean was tried for sedition at Edinburgh High Court. Maclean became a controversial figure due to his opposition to World War One, a stance which led to him losing his job as a teacher.

He was jailed for five years but after a campaign of weekly marches by his supporters, was released after eight months, having turned down an earlier royal pardon from King George V. Maclean died of pneumonia in 1923, never having fully recovered from conditions in prison.

Further reading

John MacLean: Hero of Red Clydeside by Henry Bell