Trial Details
T/LA/618 Katherene Crystie
- Name of the accused
- Katherene Crystie
- Associated case
- C/EGD/1005 (11/11/1630)
- Trial process type
- Mixed Central/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 | Release | 16/3/1630 | None | None |
| Privy Council | Justiciary | 26/5/1630 | None | The Lord's advocate appointed people for her trial in Dysart, she objected to some of them, and the PC ordered them removed from her trial. |
| Privy Council | Interrogation and Arrest | 13/7/1630 | None | The ministers and bailies of Dysart wanted permission to re-arrest her. |
| Privy Council | Arrest | 22/7/1630 | None | The bailies failed to arrest her due to a loophole in the warrant. So the ministers sought and received another warrant. |
| Privy Council | Release | 11/11/1630 | None | She was imprisoned in Dysart, but no complaints came in, therefore released on caution. |
| 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 | 16/3/1630 | Privy Council | |||
| Suspect's | 26/5/1630 | Privy Council | |||
| Suspect's | 11/11/1630 | 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 |
| None | no | Tolbooth | Dysart | no |
| 15/8/1630 | no | Tolbooth | Dysart | 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
- In 1630 they arrested her again without cause. The PC ordered her release and put a £1000 caution on her appearance at court in Edinburgh. The Lord Chief Justice decided to appoint deputes. The narration of a later PC supplication by the ministers of Dysart explains why. They requested that her trial should not be moved to Edinburgh due to the poverty of the Burgh of Dysart. The Lord Chief Justice agreed. They specified that since her first trial (ending in acquittal and release) many confessed witches had denounced her. The bailies and ministers requested and received a new order for arrest. The bailie David Chrystie refused to arrest her because the warrant did not specify the breaking down of doors. The ministers sought a new commission for breaking down doors. They appointed Alexander Colville, justice depute, as prosecutor. She resisted arrest for a while, turned herself in so the case could proceed, but no charges were filed against her with Colville, so she requested and got an order for release from prison in Dysart.
- watched?
- no
- watch date
- no information
- arrested?
- yes
- arrest date
- 1630
- 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
- no information
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- no information
- parish
- no information
- presbytery
- no information
- county
- no information
- burgh
- no information
verdict
- verdict
- no information
- defence
- no
- female accusers
- 0
- male accusers
- 0
- 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
- yes
- trial notes
- A central justiciary trial was ordered on 16/3/1630, then the Lord Chief Justice appointed deputies to run the trial in the locality. Three local men were appointed then removed after the suspect complained to the PC. The local bailies and ministers were then re-appointed after they appealed to the PC. The trial was relocated back to Dysart with central representatives.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| George Hamilton | of Blackburn | None | None | Judge | no | Involved in cases in 1630 and 1633. |
| David Crichton | fiar of Lugton | None | None | Judge | no | Involved in cases in 1630 from Dysart. Possibly the same as LA/618. |
| James Weymss | Sir of Bogie | None | None | Judge | no | Also recorded as fiar of Bogie. Involved in cases and trial in 1621, 1626 and 1630. Father of Sir John Weymess LA/411. |
| Alexander Colville | Mr | Justice Depute | Advocate | Prosecutor | no | Moderator of presbytery. Involved in cases in 1629-62. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- no information
- executed?
- no
- execution date
- no information
- execution place
- no information
- execution method
- no information
- post trial notes
- None
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| no recorded named witches | ||
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||