Trial T/LA/326
Trial Summary
| Trial Ref | T/LA/326 |
|---|---|
| Case | Williamsone,Agnes |
| Accused | Agnes Williamsone |
| Trial Date | 27/1/1662 |
Location
| Settlement | Edinburgh |
|---|
Outcome
| Verdict | Not Guilty |
|---|---|
| Defence | Yes |
| High Status | Yes |
| Female Accusers | 3 |
|---|---|
| Male Accusers | 9 |
Pre-Trial
| Arrest | Yes |
|---|---|
| Confronting Suspects | Yes |
Notes: She confessed to Judges Commissionate on 20/5/1661. Someone drew up a memorandum outlining the case in 1662. The confession was disputed and presented as extrajudicial. Earl of Haddington said she was a burden to his tenents while awaiting trial, presumably because they had to watch and ward her. She is also listed in process notes in the Privy Council from 1649
| Date | Place | Location | Central | Recorded | Text | Retracted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/5/1661 | Edinburgh | — | ✓ | — | — | |
| 1649 | — | ✓ | — | — |
| Date | Prison | Location | Fate in Prison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haddington | |||
| Tolbooth | Edinburgh |
| Date | Body | Type | Seal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/4/1661 | Parliamentary | Justiciary | |
| 7/11/1661 | Privy Council | Justiciary |
Petition to parliament from Earl of Haddington. He claimed that witchcraft was increasing in his lands and had imprisoned the suspects. He also claimed that two of them were accused of robbery as well.
resulted from a petition from the Earl of Haddington saying that she had been in jail there for 8 months and needed to be tried to spare the public expense.
| Date | Type | Where Lodged | Witch Pricker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/11/1661 | Other | Privy Council | — |
| Date | Authority | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4/1661 | Parliament | From the Earl of Haddington |
| Date | Type |
|---|---|
| 1661 | Searching |
| Name | Mention Type | Trial Of | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Bannyntyne | Accomplice | T/JO/1039 | |
| Elspeth Baillie | Accomplice | T/JO/1034 |
| Name | Title | Involvement | Witch Pricker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Birnie | Mr | Prosecutor | — |
| Nathaniel Fife | Mr | Defence advocate | — |
| William Weir | Chancellor | — |
Trial Notes
Found her not guilty of the substantive charges, but guilty 'by repute and delation'. On 28/1/1662, justice was postponed until 3/2/1662. We have the trial text in JC2 (i.e. High Court Books of Adjournal) and in draft form in JC26/28.
The rest of the group were not tried with her at the High Court - they may have had a local trial.
The rest of the group were not tried with her at the High Court - they may have had a local trial.