Trial Details
T/LA/602 Margaret Burges
- Name of the accused
- Margaret Burges
- Associated case
- C/EGD/1058 (27/1/1629)
- Trial process type
- Local 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 | Justiciary | 25/11/1628 | signet | A copy of the commission exists in JC26. |
| 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 |
| 12/10/1628 | Kirk of Cramond |
| 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 |
| 22/12/1628 | Pricking |
| confessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| central trial confession | date | location | notes |
| no recorded confessions | |||
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- On 12 Oct. 1628 she proceeded against two people for slander in calling her a witch. This pursuit backfired and the ministers decided there was enough evidence from the testimony in the slander case to warrant trying to get a commission of justiciary to try her for witchcraft. She was investigated and witness statements were taken by her commission starting on 29 Nov. 1628, and then on 13, 17, 18, 22 December 1628.
- 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
- 27/1/1629
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- no information
- parish
- no information
- presbytery
- no information
- county
- no information
- burgh
- no information
verdict
- verdict
- Guilty
- defence
- yes
- female accusers
- 12
- male accusers
- 14
- 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
- Dittay dated 29 Nov. 1628. Assize summoned on 21 January 1628
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| William Adamson | of Craignooke | None | None | Prosecutor | no | Also recorded as Mr of Graycruik. Involved in cases in 1628-9. |
| David Prymrois | Mr | None | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in cases and trials in 1628-9, 1632 and 1639. Name might also be spelled Primrose. |
| John Dunlop | Mr | None | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in trial in 1629. |
| David MacGill | Mr | None | advocate | Defence | no | Involved in cases in 1586, 1590-1, 1593, 1614 and 1628-9. |
| Jean Bodin | None | None | Author | Cited authority | no | Noted political writer who wrote a much used book on demonology. Cited in 1629 and 1645. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- no information
- execution place
- Castle Hill
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- None
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Elspeth Baird | T/LA/603 | A/EGD/1048 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||