Trial Details
T/LA/25 Alisone Nisbet
- Name of the accused
- Alisone Nisbet
- Associated case
- C/EGD/170 (4/8/1632)
- 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 | Interrogation and Arrest | 1/7/1630 | None | Arrested for questioning and to be brought to the PC |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 22/2/1631 | None | Prompted by a complaint from Nisbet about being held in jail with no formal charges and no 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 |
| Suspect's | 22/2/1631 | Privy Council | |||
| 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 |
| 7/1630 | yes | None | Edinburgh | no |
| 12/1630 | yes | Tolbooth | 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 |
| no | None | Edinburgh | None |
| yes | None | Edinburgh | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- She was examined by the PC on 10/7/1630. She was listed as imprisoned for several months on 22/2/1631. Several women with the last name of Nisbet gave evidence against her? Letters were to be sent out to witnesses and complainers masters, ordering them to appear. Witnesses were ordered to appear in front of PC and their masters were specified to bring them personally. She confessed to adultery. She was questioned repeatedly and answered her charges on 27 Aug. 1630.
- 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?
- no
Trial phase
- trial date
- 25/7/1632
- 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
- 5
- male accusers
- 5
- 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
- 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. |
| Alexander Torrie | None | None | None | Chancellor | no | Involved in trials in 1631 and 1632. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 4/8/1632
- execution place
- Castle Hill
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- Her execution was noted in the treasurers account
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Issobell Cunninghame | T/LA/26 | A/EGD/671 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||