Trial Details
T/JO/618 Bessie Weir
- Name of the accused
- Bessie Weir
- Associated case
- C/EGD/1745 (20/2/1677)
- 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 |
| Privy Council | Justiciary | 18/1/1677 | signet | None |
| 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 |
| 1/1677 | no | Tolbooth | Paisley | 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
- Commission for trial issued although suspect already imprisoned. Commission specified no torture. The text is in JC10/4. Weir escaped from prison and fled to the parish of Carmanack (?Kilmarnock) where she pretended to be Bessie Aikin, married to a man named Chrystie in Glasgow.
- watched?
- no
- watch date
- no information
- arrested?
- yes
- arrest date
- no information
- fled?
- yes
- 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
- 14/2/1677
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- no information
- parish
- P/ST/1328
- presbytery
- Paisley
- county
- Renfrew
- burgh
- Paisley
verdict
- verdict
- Guilty
- defence
- no
- female accusers
- 0
- male accusers
- 7
- recorded as high status?
- yes
- 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 had a Privy Council commission for trial, and was tried in front of what looks like a local trial with central representation. Edinburgh officials were sent out to the trial, and the trial appears in the minute books of the circuit court.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| George Ross | Lord Ross | None | None | Judge | no | Involved in trials in 1677. |
| Robert Alexander | of Blackhouse | None | None | Prosecutor | no | Commissioner in 1662 and involved in cases in 1663 and 1677. Probably related to John Alexander LA/1122. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 20/2/1677
- execution place
- Gallow Green
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- between 2-4 in the afternoon
| 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 | ||||||