Trial Details
T/LA/325 Janet Cock
- Name of the accused
- Janet Cock
- Associated case
- C/EGD/409 (26/11/1661)
- 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 |
| 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 |
| Suspect's | 18/9/1661 | None | |||
| Family member | None | None | |||
| 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 | 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 recorded confessions | |||
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- She was called up to the kirk session of Dalkeith for drunken behaviour on 22/1/1645. Her two daughters petitioned for her release from prison.
- 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
- 11/11/1661
- 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
- yes
- female accusers
- 9
- male accusers
- 16
- 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
- Doom pronounced on 12/11/1661. The PC ordered that she be tried on the new charges in their response to a request from Janet to be released from prison after her first trial's verdict of not guilty. New witnesses were called on 9/11/1661.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| George Fletcher | Mr | Lord Advocate's substitute | Advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in trials in 1629 and 1661. |
| Andrew Birnie | Mr | sometime substitute to lord's advocate | Advocate | Defence advocate | no | Involved in trials in 1661-2. |
| David Livingston | None | None | None | Chancellor | no | Involved in trial in 1661. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 26/11/1661
- execution place
- no information
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- Taken to the usual place of execution in Dalkeit. The day was a Tuesday., between 10 and 2 in the afternoon. William Scot, bailie was ordered to carry out the sentence.
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Janet Paistoun | None | A/EGD/366 |
| Kathrin Huntar | None | A/EGD/1384 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||