Trial Details
T/JO/609 Isobell Eliot
- Name of the accused
- Isobell Eliot
- Associated case
- C/EGD/691 (20/9/1678)
- Trial process type
- Central Court
| associated trials | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| trial reference | accused | trial type | trial year | trial place |
| T/JO/610 | Marion Veitch | Central Court | 1678 | Edinburgh |
| T/JO/611 | Margaret Dods | Central Court | 1678 | Edinburgh |
| T/JO/612 | Helen Laying | Central Court | no information | Edinburgh |
| T/LA/830 | Christian Hogger | Central Court | 1678 | Edinburgh |
Pre-trial actions
| commissions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| commission body | type | date | seal | notes |
| Privy Council | None | 13/9/1678 | None | warrand for execution issued |
| 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 |
| None | no | None | Edinburgh | no |
| 9/1678 | yes | None | Edinburgh | 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 | 11/9/1678 | Edinburgh | None |
| no | 13/9/1678 | Edinburgh | None |
| yes | 13/9/1678 | Edinburgh | None |
| no | 27/6/1678 | Edinburgh | None |
other information
- Pre-trial notes
- Local laird and others requested permission for local trial which appears to have been refused. They were tried eventually in Edinburgh.
- 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
- 13/9/1678
- 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
- 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
- no
- trial notes
- The prosecutor was the Lord Advocate. They were to report the execution back to the Privy Council.
| persons associated with the trial | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| name | title | office | occupation | involvement | witchpricker? | notes |
| James Paterson | None | None | None | Chancellor | no | Involved in trials in 1678. |
| George MacKenzie | Mr/Sir of Rosehaugh | Justice Depute/Lord Advocate | advocate | Prosecutor | no | By 1678 he had been promoted and knighted. He was a very prominent state official and a kinsman to George MacKenzie of Tarbat. |
Post-trial phase
- sentence
- Execution
- executed?
- yes
- execution date
- 20/9/1678
- execution place
- no information
- execution method
- Strangle & Burn
- post trial notes
- Execution took place at Pentson Muir not in Edinburgh.
| other named witches | ||
|---|---|---|
| name | trial link | accused link |
| Marion Campbell | T/LA/814 | A/EGD/605 |
| Katherine Halyday | T/LA/815 | A/EGD/608 |
| Sarah Cranston | T/LA/816 | A/EGD/607 |
| Helen Laying | T/JO/612 | A/EGD/681 |
| Margaret Anderson | T/LA/1434 | A/EGD/678 |
| Bessie Bell | T/LA/1435 | A/EGD/1748 |
| Margaret Liddell | T/LA/1436 | A/EGD/1749 |
| Margaret Bannyntyne | T/JO/1039 | A/EGD/1926 |
Mentioned as a witch
| mentioned as a witch | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| type | name | mention date | fate | linked trialdate | trial link | notes |
| no mentions | ||||||