Trial Details
T/JO/575 Jonet Coutts
- Name of the accused
- Jonet Coutts
- Associated case
- C/EGD/1817 (4/1/1650)
- Trial process type
- Local Court
| associated trials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial reference | accused | trial type | trial year | trial place |
| T/JO/574 | Marioun Twedy | Local Court | 1649 | P/ST/1332 Peebles Peebles |
Pre-trial actions
| commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | type | date | seal | notes |
| Committee of Estates | Justiciary | 4/1/1649 | None | CoEput some conditions on the commission. They were to report back to the exchequer by 10/12/1649, and they were not to burn Jonet Coutts until she confronted other suspects. |
| Committee of Estates | Investigation | 4/12/1649 | None | Commissioners to report back to the committee on 8/1/1650, and to confront those named by Coutts, and search them with a pricker, and imprison any who seem guilty. |
| previous commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | date | |||
| no recorded prior commission | ||||
| appeals | ||
|---|---|---|
| central authority | reason | appeal date |
| Peebles presbytery want further advice | 28/6/1649 | |
| Biggar presbytery want her brought from Peebles | 12/12/1649 | |
| complaints | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | date of complaint | lodged at | appeal date | complainent | involvement |
| no recorded complaints | |||||
| move to higher legal authority | |
|---|---|
| moved to | date of move |
| no recorded move to higher legal authority | |
| denunciations | |
|---|---|
| denuncation date | dated |
| no recorded denunciations | |
| imprisonments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| incarceration date | central trial imprison | prison | location | moving |
| 6/1649 | no | None | Peebles | no |
| None | no | Tolbooth | Peebles | no |
| tortures | |
|---|---|
| date of torture | torture type |
| no recorded tortures | |
| ordeals | |
|---|---|
| date of ordeal | ordeal type |
| 6/1649 | Bierricht (corpse bleeds) |
| confessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| central trial confession | date | location | notes |
| no | 20/10/1649 | Peebles | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- Presbytery heard witness statements. Accused denied charges. Decide to refer case to GA. Commission from CoE issued as recorded by presbytery. She eventually made a confession which included references to covenant etc and naming other people. Later Biggar presbytery wanted her brought to confront those persons she named. The committee of estates ordered that she be brought around to confront all the people she denounced in the presbytery and town of Biggar.
- watched?
- no
- watch date
- no information
- arrested?
- no
- arrest date
- no information
- fled?
- no
- date absconded
- no information
- action dropped?
- no
- action dropped date
- no information
- action dropped by
- no information
- trial action body
- no information
- confronting suspects?
- yes
Trial phase
- trial date
- 21/11/1649
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- no information
- parish
- P/ST/1332
- presbytery
- Peebles
- county
- Peebles
- burgh
- Peebles
verdict
- verdict
- Guilty
- defence
- no
- female accusers
- 5
- male accusers
- 3
- recorded as high status?
- no
- order for central judiciary trial
- no
- judiciary trial date
- no information
- circuit court (mixed central and local)
- no
- circuit name
- no information
- local court with central representatives
- no
- trial notes
- Note that trial to be held.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| no recorded additional persons | ||||||
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- no information
- execution place
- no information
- execution method
- no information
- post trial notes
- No details of execution but referred to as a dead witch on 18/4/1650
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Marion Hunter | T/JO/2203 | A/EGD/1792 |
| Marioun Robiesone | T/JO/583 | A/EGD/1831 |
| Bessie Forrest | T/JO/576 | A/EGD/1833 |
| Marion Watsone | T/JO/579 | A/EGD/1962 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||