Sawney Bean

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Sawney Bean
Sawney Bean at the Entrance of His Cave. Note the woman in the background, carrying two disembodied legs, and the dead body nearby.
Born	Alexander Bean 1500s to 1600s East Lothian, Scotland
Other names	Sawney
Spouse	Agnes "Black" Douglas
Children	14
Criminal penalty	Death
Details
Victims	5,593
Country	Scotland

Alexander "Sawney" Bean (sometimes also given as Sandy Bane, etc.) is a legendary figure, said to have been the head of a 45-member clan in Scotland in the 16th century that murdered and cannibalised over 1,000 people in 25 years. According to the legend, Bean and his clan members were eventually caught by a search party sent by King James VI, and were executed for their heinous crimes.

The story appeared in The Newgate Calendar, a sensationalised crime catalogue loosely connected with Newgate Prison in London. It has since passed into folklore and become a part of the Edinburgh tourism circuit.