Trial Details
T/LA/802 Margaret Clerk
- Name of the accused
- Margaret Clerk
- Associated case
- C/EGD/605 (4/6/1674)
- 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 |
| None | None | None | None | None |
| 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 |
| no recorded ordeals | |
| confessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| central trial confession | date | location | notes |
| no recorded confessions | |||
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- On 1/6/1674 her trial date was set for Wed. 3/6/1674 and she was given caution to appear for trial. Her trial was continued again, her husband ordered to 'stand ableidged' for her appearance. She was previously to stand trial in front of the Justice of the Peace in the Sheriffdom of Banff, but the High Court accepted her appeal, heard the case and dismissed it because the local pursuers did not come to Edinburgh when summond.
- watched?
- no
- watch date
- no information
- arrested?
- no
- arrest date
- no information
- fled?
- no
- date absconded
- no information
- action dropped?
- yes
- action dropped date
- 4/6/1674
- action dropped by
- no information
- trial action body
- High Court
- confronting suspects?
- no
Trial phase
- trial date
- 4/6/1674
- trial place
- no information
place of trial
- settlement
- Edinburgh
- parish
- no information
- presbytery
- no information
- county
- no information
- burgh
- no information
verdict
- verdict
- no information
- defence
- yes
- female accusers
- 0
- male accusers
- 0
- 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
- orderfor trial given by the High Court. She was previously persued in Banff by a two lairds and a bailie. She appealed to the High Court on the grounds that they were not fit to try her and had not followed proper procedure (i.e. giving her a list of the assize and witnesses, hearing witness testimony in her presence, and that they were not sufficiently educated to hear the case). The High Court agreed. The diet was deserted because her pursuers did not appear as they were charged and summond to do.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| Alexander Anderson | Mr | None | advocate | Defence | no | Involved in trials in 1671 and 1674. |
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 | ||||||