Trial Details
T/LA/83 Alexander Drummond
- Name of the accused
- Alexander Drummond
- Associated case
- C/EGD/1094 (11/7/1629)
- 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 |
| Privy Council | Arrest | 18/12/1628 | None | He was currently being held at the tolbooth of Stirling. He was ordered to be transported to Linlithgow and then by the bailies of Linlithgow to Edinburgh. |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 8/1/1629 | None | None |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 24/3/1629 | None | order for depositions to be taken within the presbyteries of Dunfermline and Muthill; brethren of presbytery named as commissioners. |
| Privy Council | Investigation | 12/1/1629 | None | None |
| previous commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | date | |||
| no recorded prior commission | ||||
| appeals | ||
|---|---|---|
| central authority | reason | appeal date |
| Presbytery of Muthill could not get him to confess | None | |
| complaints | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | date of complaint | lodged at | appeal date | complainent | involvement |
| Unknown | 1/1629 | 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 |
| 13/2/1629 | yes | Tolbooth | Edinburgh | no |
| 11/1628 | no | Tolbooth | Stirling | no |
| 19/12/1628 | no | None | Linlithgow | no |
| 20/12/1628 | no | Tolbooth | Edinburgh | no |
| 8/1/1629 | yes | Tolbooth | Edinburgh | no |
| 1/1629 | no | Tolbooth | Stirling | 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 | 16/10/1628 | Dunblane | None |
| no | 17/10/1628 | Dunblane | None |
| no | 18/10/1628 | Dunblane | None |
| no | 24/10/1628 | Wester Tilliecoutrie | None |
| no | 12/1/1629 | Edinburgh | None |
| yes | 25 Oct 1628 | Stirling | None |
| yes | 12 Jan 1629 | Edinburgh | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- Testimony taken before the ministers at Dunfermline on 31 May 1624. Testimony taken against him on 25 Oct. 1628 at Stirling (JC26/9 item 15) and 28 Oct. 1628 at Culross (JC26/9). Witness statements taken on 8 April 1629 under a commission from Privy Council (JC26/9 item 19). Witness statements were taken all over Perthshire through 1628 and 1629 (see references) Privy Council orded 8 shillings to be given for the maintenance of Drummond in the tolbooth of Edinburgh - 'for his interteanement and jaylour fee'; complaint about an ailment in prison 1/1629. The presbytery of Muthill requested that the Privy Council move him to Edinburgh. They interrogated him and took evidence on 6 April 1629 (JC26/9 item 6). In his depositions/confessions he said he did do all the healing but that it was not witchcraft. He was denounced as a rebel at Perth, in May 1624 and in October 1628.
- 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?
- no
Trial phase
- trial date
- 3/7/1629
- 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
- 13
- male accusers
- 43
- recorded as high status?
- yes
- 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
- None
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| William Stewart | of Ardoch | None | None | Chancellor | no | Involved in trial in 1629. |
| Thomas Hope | Sir of Craighall | Lord's Advocate | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in cases and trials in 1628-34, 1643 and 1645. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 11/7/1629
- execution place
- Mercat Trone
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- PC warrant for execution. Dated 9/7/1629 the entry says 'Wednisday nixt' I assume that is two days later (the entry before is described as happening on Tuesday). After his execution a campaign was launched to posthumously clear his name. Letters were written 6 Oct 1646 and 13 Dec 1646 to get the King to clear him.
| 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 | ||||||