Trial Details
T/LA/319 Isobel Ramsay
- Name of the accused
- Isobel Ramsay
- Associated case
- C/EGD/402 (23/8/1661)
- Trial process type
- Central Court
| associated trials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial reference | accused | trial type | trial year | trial place |
| T/LA/261 | Jonet Miller | Central Court | 1661 | Edinburgh |
| T/LA/312 | Jonet Ker | Central Court | 1661 | Edinburgh |
| T/LA/318 | Helen Casse | Central Court | 1661 | Edinburgh |
Pre-trial actions
| commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | type | date | seal | notes |
| no recorded commission | ||||
| 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 |
| no recorded imprisonments | ||||
| tortures | |
|---|---|
| date of torture | torture type |
| no recorded tortures | |
| ordeals | |
|---|---|
| date of ordeal | ordeal type |
| 7/1661 | Searching |
| confessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| central trial confession | date | location | notes |
| no | 18/7/1661 | Duddingston | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- She confessed only to having received the money which then turned to stone. Confronted by Jonet Ker (c/egd/398) who confirmed she met Ramsay at meetings.
- watched?
- no
- watch date
- no information
- arrested?
- no
- 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
- 20/8/1661
- 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
- 4
- male accusers
- 8
- 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 daughter testified against her, saying that when she told her mother that people thought she had caused supernatural harm, her mother replied 'so I did and will ever doe'. Ker confronted her saying she saw her at a meeting on the green dyke and 'knew her be her face and be her speich'. The assize was mostly from Edinburgh not her locality.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| None | None | None | None | no | None | |
| David Dunmure | Mr | substitute to lord's advocate | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in cases and trials in 1661. |
| John Mowbray | None | None | merchant | Chancellor | no | Involved in trials in 1661. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 23/8/1661
- execution place
- no information
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- Taken back to Wester Duddingston for execution.
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Margaret Hart | None | A/LA/2679 |
| Margaret Robertson | T/LA/1687 | A/EGD/327 |
| Jonet Ker | T/LA/312 | A/EGD/387 |
| Issobell Robiesone | T/LA/314 | A/EGD/386 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||