Trial Details
T/LA/288 Christiane Wilsone
- Name of the accused
- Christiane Wilsone
- Associated case
- C/EGD/383 (3/8/1661)
- Trial process type
- Mixed Central/Local Court
| associated trials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial reference | accused | trial type | trial year | trial place |
| T/LA/292 | Beatrix Leslie | Mixed Central/Local Court | 1661 | Edinburgh Dalkeith |
Pre-trial actions
| commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | type | date | seal | notes |
| Committee of Estates | Justiciary | None | None | This is mentioned in a pre-trial 'report' but she wasn't actually tried under this, but was lumped in with other Dalkeith witches on a High Court trial that took place in Dalkeith. |
| 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 |
| 14/6/1661 | no | Tolbooth | Dalkeith | no |
| None | no | None | Niddry | yes |
| tortures | |
|---|---|
| date of torture | torture type |
| no recorded tortures | |
| ordeals | |
|---|---|
| date of ordeal | ordeal type |
| 1650 | Pricking |
| 1661 | Pricking |
| None | Bierricht (corpse bleeds) |
| confessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| central trial confession | date | location | notes |
| no | None | Dalkeith | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- She mostly confessed to having killed her brother, but it doesn’t seem to have been through witchcraft? She tried to flee but failed. Janet Cock's first trial (c/egd/409) says that Wilsone was brought to Niddry to confront other suspects on 10/6/1661.
- 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
- 3/8/1661
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- no information
- parish
- no information
- presbytery
- Dalkeith
- county
- Edinburgh
- burgh
- Dalkeith
verdict
- verdict
- Guilty
- defence
- no
- female accusers
- 6
- male accusers
- 11
- 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
- Her trial was a High Court trial held in Dalkeith, the Books of Adjournal, and the substitute to his majesty's advocate, were brought out to Dalkeith. A pre-trial 'report' lists a commission from the Committee of Estates for her trial, but she wasn't tried under that commission, don't know why.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| Robert Dalgleish | Mr of Lauriston | substitute advocate to Sir John Fletcher | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in cases/trials in 1661. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 3/8/1661
- execution place
- no information
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- ordered to be executed between 2 and 4 in the afternoon
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Bernard Brown | T/LA/289 | A/LA/2671 |
| Jonnet Hislop | T/LA/290 | A/LA/2672 |
| Adam Poluck | T/LA/291 | A/LA/2673 |
| Janet Grahame | T/LA/301 | A/LA/2676 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||