Trial Details
T/JO/1699 Betty (Beatrix) Laing
- Name of the accused
- Betty (Beatrix) Laing
- Associated case
- C/EGD/831 (20/5/1709)
- Trial process type
- Mixed Central/Local Court
| associated trials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial reference | accused | trial type | trial year | trial place |
| T/JO/1696 | Janet Cornfoot | Mixed Central/Local Court | no information | |
| T/JO/1702 | Nicolas Lauson | Mentioneed in trial | no information | |
| T/JO/592 | Isobel Adam | Mixed Central/Local Court | no information | |
| T/LA/1251 | Betty (Beatrix) Laing | Mixed Central/Local Court | 1709 | Perth Perth |
| T/LA/1813 | Thomas Broun | Mixed Central/Local Court | no information | |
| T/LA/1814 | Margaret Wallace | Mixed Central/Local Court | no information | |
Pre-trial actions
| commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | type | date | seal | notes |
| no recorded commission | ||||
| previous commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | date | |||
| no recorded prior commission | ||||
| appeals | ||
|---|---|---|
| central authority | reason | appeal date |
| tormenting of a boy | 13/6/1704 | |
| complaints | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | date of complaint | lodged at | appeal date | complainent | involvement |
| Suspect's | 1/5/1705 | Privy Council | |||
| 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 |
| None | no | None | Pittenweem | no |
| None | no | Thieves' Hole | Pittenweem | no |
| None | no | Dungeon | Pittemweem | no |
| tortures | |
|---|---|
| date of torture | torture type |
| None | Stocks |
| None | Sleep Deprivation |
| ordeals | |
|---|---|
| date of ordeal | ordeal type |
| None | Pricking |
| confessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| central trial confession | date | location | notes |
| no | 6/1704 | Pittenweem | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- Presbytery asked by local baillies to question the suspects. Laying (Laing) confessed to a number of things. She eventually got the protection of the government on 1 May 1705 when she wrote to the Privy Council detailing her ill treatment by the towns people and by the magistrates.
- watched?
- yes
- watch date
- no information
- arrested?
- yes
- 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
Trial phase
- trial date
- no information
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- no information
- parish
- no information
- presbytery
- no information
- county
- no information
- burgh
- no information
verdict
- verdict
- no information
- defence
- no
- female accusers
- 0
- male accusers
- 0
- 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
- yes
- trial notes
- She was scheduled to be tried in the locality by the Lord Advocate
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| James Stewart | Sir | Lord Advocate | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in trials in 1696-7 and 1709. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- no information
- executed?
- no
- execution date
- no information
- execution place
- no information
- execution method
- no information
- post trial notes
- None
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| no recorded named witches | ||
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||