Trial Details
T/LA/10 Katharine Oswald
- Name of the accused
- Katharine Oswald
- Associated case
- C/EGD/162 (13/11/ 1629)
- Trial process type
- Central 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 | Arrest | 2/7/1629 | Signet | None |
| Privy Council | Justiciary | 5/9/1629 | Signet | commission to Sheriff and bailies of Edinburgh to hold courts and try K. Oswald |
| Privy Council | Justiciary | 22/9/1629 | None | appointment of assessors to assist the Sheriff in her trial |
| 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 |
| Family member | 4/9/1629 | Privy Council | |||
| move to higher legal authority | |
|---|---|
| moved to | date of move |
| Bishop | None |
| denunciations | |
|---|---|
| denuncation date | dated |
| None | to Earl of Winton, bailies of Musselburgh |
| 4/7/1629 | depositions taken at Liberton Kirk |
| 5/1629 | process in kirk session of Niddrie 10 weeks past |
| imprisonments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| incarceration date | central trial imprison | prison | location | moving |
| None | yes | Tolbooth | Edinburgh | no |
| tortures | |
|---|---|
| date of torture | torture type |
| no recorded tortures | |
| ordeals | |
|---|---|
| date of ordeal | ordeal type |
| None | Pricking |
| confessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| central trial confession | date | location | notes |
| no recorded confessions | |||
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- Witness depositions against her beginning in 14/7/1628 and she was denounced by two confessing witches. A commission was sought but the Bishop of St. Andrews wouldn't proceed based on the evidence. Ordered to report her depositions to the council on 20/7/1629; commission for the central trial was granted to the Sheriffs and bailies of Edinburgh becaue the lord advocate was going to attend a funeral. Sir Thomas Hope of Craighall sent a notice to 'our sherrifs in that part' to call the assize and witnesses for her trial to happen on 1/11/1629.
- watched?
- no
- watch date
- no information
- arrested?
- no
- arrest date
- no information
- fled?
- no
- date absconded
- no information
- action dropped?
- yes
- action dropped date
- no information
- action dropped by
- LA/42
- trial action body
- no information
- confronting suspects?
- yes
Trial phase
- trial date
- 11/11/ 1629
- 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
- yes
- female accusers
- 6
- male accusers
- 6
- recorded as high status?
- no
- order for central judiciary trial
- yes
- judiciary trial date
- no information
- circuit court (mixed central and local)
- no
- circuit name
- no information
- local court with central representatives
- no
- trial notes
- None
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| Thomas Hope | Sir of Craighall | Lord's Advocate | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in cases and trials in 1628-34, 1643 and 1645. |
| Robert Burnet | Mr | Substitute Lord Advocate | Advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in trials in 1629-30. |
| John Oliphant | Mr | substitute Lord's Advocate | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in cases/trials in 1629, 1630, 1634 and 1645. |
| Robert Acheson | None | None | None | Defence | no | Spouse to Katherine Oswald (1629) |
| Gavin Nisbet | Mr | None | None | Defence | no | Involved in trial in 1629. |
| James Acheson | None | burgess | None | Defence | no | Involved in case in 1629. Relative of Katherine Oswald. |
| Laurence MacGill | Mr | None | advocate | Defence advocate | no | Involved in trials in 1629 and 1634. |
| John Sandilands | Mr | None | advocate | Defence advocate | no | Involved in cases and trial in 1628, 1629 and 1632. |
| Patrik Carkettill | None | None | servant | Expert Witness | no | Involved in cases in 1629. |
| James Jonkiesone | None | None | tolbooth servant | Expert Witness | no | Involved in 1629. Probably Jenkinson. |
| John Aird | Mr | None | minister | Witch-pricker | no | Minister at Newbattle 1615-1638. Involved in cases in 1629. Also recorded as a witch pricker. |
| Frances Baldwyne | None | None | Author | Cited authority | no | Cited in 1629 trial. |
| Jean Bodin | None | None | Author | Cited authority | no | Noted political writer who wrote a much used book on demonology. Cited in 1629 and 1645. |
| Martin Delrio | None | None | author | Cited authority | no | Cited in trials in 1622 and 1629. |
| Adam Colt | Mr | None | minister | Expert Witness | no | Spelt Innerask. Involved in cases in 1629 |
| Robert Stratton | None | None | None | Chancellor | no | Involved in trial in 1629. |
| Isobel Young | None | None | None | Witchcraft precedent | no | Cited in trials in 1629 and 1634. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 13/11/1629
- execution place
- Castle Hill
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- She was ordered to be executed in this way. A note in the Edinburgh Town Treasurers account that the miller's wife in Niddrie was burnt on 6/11/1629. Probably a reference to Oswald.
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Alexander Hammiltoun | T/LA/15 | A/EGD/155 |
| Elizabeth Steven | T/LA/12 | A/EGD/154 |
| Juliane Unknown | T/LA/14 | A/LA/2537 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||