Trial Details
T/LA/157 Helene Clerk
- Name of the accused
- Helene Clerk
- Associated case
- C/EGD/184 (29/3/1645)
- 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 | None | High Court | |||
| move to higher legal authority | |
|---|---|
| moved to | date of move |
| Lord Advocate | 23/11/1643 |
| denunciations | |
|---|---|
| denuncation date | dated |
| 16/10/1643 | testimony given to ministers and bailies |
| imprisonments | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| incarceration date | central trial imprison | prison | location | moving |
| 12/1/1644 | yes | Tolbooth | Edinburgh | no |
| tortures | |
|---|---|
| date of torture | torture type |
| no recorded tortures | |
| ordeals | |
|---|---|
| date of ordeal | ordeal type |
| 11/11/1643 | Pricking |
| 18/11/1643 | Pricking |
| confessions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| central trial confession | date | location | notes |
| no recorded confessions | |||
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- She was investigated by ministers and magistrates in 16/10/1643 and again in 1/11/1643 where they hired William Scoby the Pricker. A dittay was written on 22/12/1643. She was delivered to Edinburgh on 5/1/1644. Trial continuance issed on 12/1/1644 in the high court of justiciary, for 15 days. A witness inquest was ordered by the Justices on 10 March 1645 to be held on 12 March 1645 Nothing happened until 19/3/1645, when another continuance was issued at the request of Andrew Fairfoul, minister at North Leith and the elders and decons of the session. She complained to 'my lord justice and his majesties advocate' that she was being held in prison and wanted the trial. The trial was held on 29 march 1645.
- 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
- 29/3/1645
- 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
- no
- female accusers
- 12
- male accusers
- 48
- 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
- Lots of continuances. An inquest for questioning witnesses was ordered for 12 march 1645. The witnesses were from North Leith and New Haven. The diet was continued until the first Wednesday in June. Don’t know what happened?
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| Thomas Hope | Sir of Craighall | Lord's Advocate | advocate | Prosecutor | no | Involved in cases and trials in 1628-34, 1643 and 1645. |
| Robert Robertson | None | None | None | Prosecutor | no | Involved in trial in 1645. |
| William Dunkitsoune | None | None | None | Prosecutor | no | Involved in case in 1645. |
| William Maxwell | Mr | None | advocate | Defence advocate | no | Involved in trial in 1645. |
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 |
| Elizabeth Spae Wife | T/LA/1563 | A/LA/2985 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||