Trial Details
T/LA/15 Alexander Hammiltoun
- Name of the accused
- Alexander Hammiltoun
- Associated case
- C/EGD/166 (22/1/1630)
- 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 | 9/12/1628 | None | Order to find and arrest him. |
| Privy Council | Arrest | 16/7/1629 | None | He had been apprehended in England and sent to Scotland |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 5/9/1629 | None | None |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 3/11/1629 | None | order for 10 witches accused by Hammilton to be confronted by him in Edinburgh. A great witch round-up. |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 3/12/1629 | None | Infoemation gathering re his accusations against Lady Manderston |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 2/2/1630 | None | Charges dropped against Lady Manderston. |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 7/1/1630 | None | Description of how his depositions were taken, his primary statement taker was ilater mprisoned for perjury. |
| 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 |
| None | no | None | Haddington | yes |
| 8/1629 | yes | None | Edinburgh | no |
| None | no | None | Berwick | yes |
| 13/7/1629 | no | Tolbooth | Duns | yes |
| 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 | None | Duns | None |
| no | None | Duns | None |
| no | None | Haddington | None |
| yes | 8/8/1629 | Edinburgh | None |
| yes | 30/10/1629 | None | None |
| yes | 18/7/1629 | Duns | None |
| yes | 25/11/1629 | None | None |
| yes | 16/1/1630 | None | None |
| yes | 22/7/1629 | Haddington Presbytery | None |
| yes | None | Edinburgh | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- His depositions against the 9 in Haddington were used to secure a commission of justiciary for the brethren of the presbytery of Haddington (RPC 3nd S, v3 p. 362). He confessed in front of the two Mowats and Abernathy. The depositions were then ratified in front of ministers and in the presbytery RPC p. 397-400). He retracted his confession against Lady Manderstone. Narration of the procedure of his case from JC26/9 item 1 bundle 3 Hammiltoun materials that was dated 13 Jan 1630. Under the supervision of George Home of Manderstone and servants. Brought from Newcastle to Berwick to Dunce (eventually to Edinburgh). He was put in a hole and watched because they thought he would strangle himself. He was pressured to confess and the court is trying to determine if there was undo force used. He was imprisoned in many people's houses, including George Home of Manderstone's, he claims he was kept in irons. He was pressured to identify more people who were suspected of witchcraft, he was reluctant to do it.
- 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
- 22/1/1630
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- Edinburgh
- parish
- no information
- presbytery
- Edinburgh
- county
- Edinburgh
- burgh
- Edinburgh
verdict
- verdict
- Guilty
- defence
- no
- female accusers
- 1
- male accusers
- 2
- 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
- no
- trial notes
- There may well have been more people who made accusations against him, but he confessed all over the place so witnesses weren't really needed.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| 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. |
| George Home | Sir of Manderston | None | None | Expert Witness | no | Involved in cases between 1629 and 1631. L. Yeoman has written about him as a witch hunter. RPC 2nd S v4, p. 677, he is asking for protection from creditors for all the expenses he incurred in trying Alexander Hammiltoun and Jon Neill. He also petitioned the King directly for protection (Register of Royal Letters, v1 p. 377 and v2 p. 553) |
| Andrew Fraser | None | None | servant | Expert Witness | no | Involved in 1630. |
| Thomas Armstrong | None | None | merchant | Chancellor | no | Involved in trial in 1630. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- no information
- execution place
- Castle Hill
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- SJC notes that he was definitely executed by 2 Feb. 1630. It was described on 5 July 1631 in RPC III 443, IV 265
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Agnes Allane | T/LA/1288 | A/LA/2891 |
| Agnes Duddingston | T/LA/1287 | A/LA/2890 |
| James Unknown | T/LA/1286 | A/LA/2889 |
| Katherine King | T/LA/1285 | A/LA/2888 |
| Katherine Wemes | T/LA/1284 | A/LA/2887 |
| Jonet Wallace | T/LA/1282 | A/LA/2885 |
| Jonet Wilson | T/LA/1281 | A/LA/2884 |
| Bessie Sleigh | T/LA/677 | A/EGD/619 |
| John Smith | T/LA/99 | A/EGD/1213 |
| Janet Bowmaker | T/LA/678 | A/EGD/618 |
| Alesone Coline | T/LA/100 | A/EGD/1214 |
| Helen Manderstoun (Arnot) | None | A/EGD/1151 |
| Jon Neill | T/LA/24 | A/EGD/158 |
| Wife of Wilsone | T/LA/18 | A/LA/2538 |
| Agnes Thomesoun | T/LA/19 | A/EGD/640 |
| Katharine Oswald | T/LA/10 | A/EGD/151 |
| Katherine Gilmore | T/LA/21 | A/LA/2539 |
| Jon Hog | None | A/EGD/1141 |
| Margaret Nicolsone | None | A/LA/2540 |
| Elspeth Crystie | T/LA/1271 | A/LA/2876 |
| None | None | |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||