Trial Details
T/JO/612 Helen Laying
- Name of the accused
- Helen Laying
- Associated case
- C/EGD/692 (20/9/1678)
- Trial process type
- Central Court
| associated trials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial reference | accused | trial type | trial year | trial place |
| T/JO/609 | Isobell Eliot | Central Court | 1678 | Edinburgh |
| T/LA/830 | Christian Hogger | Central Court | 1678 | Edinburgh |
Pre-trial actions
| commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | type | date | seal | notes |
| Privy Council | None | 13/9/1678 | None | warrant for execution issued |
| 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 |
| no recorded move to higher legal authority | |
| denunciations | |
|---|---|
| denuncation date | dated |
| no recorded denunciations | |
| imprisonments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| incarceration date | central trial imprison | prison | location | moving |
| 9/1678 | yes | None | Edinburgh | 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 |
| yes | 11/9/1678 | Edinburgh | None |
| yes | 13/9/1678 | Edinburgh | None |
| no | 29/6/1678 | Paiston | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- Execution ordered. Financial accounts demonstrate that the local laird and others had requested commissions for local trial which were refused. The trial appears to have been held in Edinburgh. She was confronted by Marion Cambpell, she denied all the charges.
- 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
- Guilty
- 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
- we have the assize verdict
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| James Paterson | None | None | None | Chancellor | no | Involved in trials in 1678. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 20/9/1678
- execution place
- no information
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- Execution took place at Peaston Muir not in Edinburgh between 2 and 4 p.m.. Local community had to pay the costs.
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Marion Campbell | T/LA/814 | A/EGD/605 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||