Trial Details
T/JO/78 Bessie Duncan
- Name of the accused
- Bessie Duncan
- Associated case
- C/EGD/1140 (2/7/1630)
- Trial process type
- Local Court
| associated trials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial reference | accused | trial type | trial year | trial place |
| T/JO/79 | Alesoun Carrick | Local Court | 1630 | P/JO/3539 Haddington Haddington |
| T/JO/81 | Katherine Lawder | Local Court | 1630 | P/JO/3539 Haddington Haddington |
Pre-trial actions
| commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | type | date | seal | notes |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 3/11/1629 | None | Commission to bring suspect to Edinburgh to confront Alexander Hamilton. |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 3/12/1629 | None | Commission to investigate case against accused. |
| Privy Council | Arrest | 1/4/1630 | None | Commission to arrest and ward suspect at request of presbytery. |
| Privy Council | Justiciary | 26/5/1630 | signet | Commission to hold local trial. |
| previous commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | date | |||
| no recorded prior commission | ||||
| appeals | ||
|---|---|---|
| central authority | reason | appeal date |
| church applied for permission to arrest suspect. | 1/4/1630 | |
| complaints | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | date of complaint | lodged at | appeal date | complainent | involvement |
| Suspect's | None | Privy Council | |||
| move to higher legal authority | |
|---|---|
| moved to | date of move |
| no recorded move to higher legal authority | |
| denunciations | |
|---|---|
| denuncation date | dated |
| 4/12/1629 | Alexander Hammilton |
| imprisonments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| incarceration date | central trial imprison | prison | location | moving |
| None | no | Tolbooth | Haddington | 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
- Named by Alexander Hamilton and ordered to be brought to Edinburgh and confront him.Other commissions chart the legal process from investigation, appeal for local imprisonment and local trial. Appeal from suspect and three others objecting to a local trial and questioning the competency of the local commissioners. Appeal rejected although on sheriff of Haddington to be involved.
- 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
- 2/7/1630
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- no information
- parish
- P/JO/3539
- presbytery
- Haddington
- county
- Haddington
- burgh
- Haddington
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
- Brethren ordered to attend Haddington on 2/7/1630 where commissioners will try the women imprisoned in the tolbooth in Haddington by assize.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| Robert Richardson | Mr | sheriff | None | Prosecutor | no | Involved in cases and trials in 1630. Name spelt Richartsone. |
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 |
| Alexander Hammiltoun | T/LA/15 | A/EGD/155 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||