Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, 1563 - 1736

Trial Details

commissions
commission body	type	date	seal	notes
Privy Council	Justiciary	19/3/1697	None	text in JC10/4

previous commissions
commission body	date
no recorded prior commission

appeals
central authority	reason	appeal date
	presbytery request commission	18/2/1697

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
2/1697	no	House	None	yes

tortures
date of torture	torture type
no recorded tortures

ordeals
date of ordeal	ordeal type
no recorded ordeals

confessions
central trial confession	date	location	notes
no	2/1697	None	None

Pre-trial notes: She was one of a number accused of bewitching Christian Shaw. Note in presbytery that the suspects were held in the houses of several of the ministers. The commission was read out in the burgh of Renfrew 18/3/1697. This case was under a PC commission (see PC1/51 p. 136-9) along with most of the people tried at the same time. There were other Renfrewshire witchcraft suspects tried at different places and times. I am keeping this as a mixed/central local because the Privy Council maintained very strict control over the proceedings, even though they granted a commission. For details of the proceedings of Privy Council in this matter see the no named witches case c/la/3235.
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?: no

verdict: Not Guilty
defence: no
female accusers: None
male accusers: None
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 in presbytery records on 17/3/1697 that ministers and commissioners to meet at Renfrew tomorrow. The commission was read out in 18/3/1697. But the trial happened on 13/4/1697 she was not proceeded against but was a star witness.

persons associated with the trial
name	title	office	occupation	involvement	witchpricker?	notes
Christian Shaw	None	None	None	Complainer	no	Accused several people in 1697 of having bewitched her.

other named witches
name	trial link	accused link
no recorded named witches

mentioned as a witch
type	name	mention date	fate	linked trialdate	trial link	notes
no mentions