Trial Details
T/JO/204 Bessie Lacost
- Name of the accused
- Bessie Lacost
- Associated case
- C/EGD/313 (8/2/1659)
- Trial process type
- Mixed Central/Local Court
| associated trials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial reference | accused | trial type | trial year | trial place |
| no recorded trials | ||||
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 |
| no recorded appeals | ||
| complaints | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | date of complaint | lodged at | appeal date | complainent | involvement |
| no recorded complaints | |||||
| move to higher legal authority | |
|---|---|
| moved to | date of move |
| Local magistrate | 5/1/1659 |
| denunciations | |
|---|---|
| denuncation date | dated |
| no recorded denunciations | |
| imprisonments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| incarceration date | central trial imprison | prison | location | moving |
| None | no | Tolbooth | Dunbar | no |
| 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 recorded confessions | |||
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- Referred to civil magistrate by presbytery, 5/1/1659. Interrogated at Stenton. And in the tolbooth of Dunbar at a JP quarter session 23/1/1659. She was 'seriously exhorted' to tell the truth about her relations with the Devil. She denounced many people who she then confronted at the next interrogations. The JPs held interrogations on 8/2/1659 and she confronted the 5 people she denounced.
- watched?
- no
- 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?
- yes
Trial phase
- trial date
- no information
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- Edinburgh
- 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
- no
- trial notes
- They wanted to prosecute her so they asked the commissioners how to proceed. No evidence of how they proceeded. The people she named were all tried by the JPs and sent to Edinburgh for sentencing. Have an undated indictment.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| no recorded additional persons | ||||||
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 |
| Janet Wood | T/LA/1619 | A/EGD/303 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||