Robert Stevenson: The Magistrate Who Took Justice into His Own Hands
Beneath the grass of Old Glendermott lies Robert Stevenson (d. 1839) – yeomanry officer, High Constable, magistrate, and terror to evildoers.
Serving under four monarchs – George III, George IV, William IV, and Queen Victoria – Stevenson became High Constable in 1808, a role he held for nearly three decades before becoming a magistrate for Tyrone, Donegal, and Derry. Known for firm but fair rulings, his decisions were rarely challenged.
But Stevenson’s most famous deed was personally capturing the notorious outlaw Robert Acheson, a tall, red-whiskered man whose gang terrorised the Northwest with robberies and murder. Like a local Robin Hood, Acheson was said to share some of his spoils with the poor, who often shielded him from capture and hid his loot.
When Acheson broke out of Derry Gaol in 1820, rewards were offered for his recapture. Acting on a tip-off, Stevenson and local farmer Billy Nixon surrounded a house at Bond’s Glen where the outlaw was hiding. A maid, secretly bribed, had dampened the priming powder in Acheson’s pistol. When Stevenson and Nixon burst into the room, Acheson reached for his gun – but it misfired. The gang was overpowered and captured without a shot.
Acheson was later tried at Derry Assizes, found guilty of murder and robbery, and hanged outside Derry Gaol. Reports say he went to the gallows penitent, praying aloud before the drop fell. His execution ended a reign of terror but also a legend – for many, Acheson was the last of the great highwaymen, feared and admired in equal measure.
Robert Stevenson was a staunch lawman – who didn’t stop till he got his man.