Act, 23 July 1706, Edinburgh

Procedure: committee formed, 28 December 1706, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Twentie third day of July Jaj vijc and Six yeirs

A1706/7/171

Act

Commutement of Bessie Muckiesons Sentence of Death to banishment

Anent the Supplication given in and presented to the Lords of her Majesties Privie Councell By Bessie Muckiesone prisoner in the Tollbooth of Edinburgh, Humbly Shewing That She being Incarcerat these two years bygone wpon account of bearing a Child gotten by Robert Boggie of Kenniestoun in Fyfe, She had to Gods glory, and peace of her own Conscience, As the Lords of Justiciary will declaire, Ingenuously confest the way and maner of her guily, And the treacherous dealing, and abominable Councill given to her a poor ignorant woman by the said Robert Boggie the father for concealling the said Child, (For which She humbly conceaved he ought to be confronted and censured) But by divyne providence the child tho2 borne dead, was never wronged in its birth, and it was knowen She was with Child but concealled the bearing to her great and wnspeakable Lamentation, For which She Justly deserved to Sufferr; And Seeing She was a poor miserable object, and ane ignorant wretch destitut of freinds, throwing herselfe att ther lordships foot stooll for pity and accustomed clemency That the Just Sentence of her deserved death might be mitigat and changed into banishment, That She might be a living monument of a true penitent for her abominable guilt, And therfor Craveing to the effect wnderwrittin, As the said petition bears, The Lords of her Majesties Privie Councell haveing considered the petition given in to them By Bessie Muckiesone prisoner in the Tollbooth of Edinburgh, And the Samen being read in ther presence, The Saids Lords have Commuted and Changed, and heirby Commutes and Changes the Sentance of death pronounced against the Petitioner by the Commissioners of Justiciary for the cryme of concealling the birth of her own Child, from death to banishment furth of this kingdome, And have discharged and heirby discharges the said sentence of death to putt to any farder execution against the petitioner in tyme comeing, And in place therof have Decerned and Ordained, And heirby decerns and ordains the petitioner to inact herselfe in the books of privie Councell that She Shall depairt furth of this kingdome betwixt and the fyfteinth day of August nixt to come, And Shall never returne therto, without her Majestie or the Privie Councells leave wnder the paine of death; And ordains the magistrats of Edinburgh, and keepers of ther Tollbooth to Sett the petitioner att liberty wpon her inacting herselfe in maner forsaid Sic Subscribitur Montrose P. Buchan. Findlater. Northesk. Forfar. Dunmore. James Steuart. William Anstruther. John Maxwell. Alexander Campbell.

Att Edinburgh the Twentie third day of July Jaj vijc and Six yeirs

A1706/7/171

Act

Commutement of Bessie Muckiesons Sentence of Death to banishment

Anent the Supplication given in and presented to the Lords of her Majesties Privie Councell By Bessie Muckiesone prisoner in the Tollbooth of Edinburgh, Humbly Shewing That She being Incarcerat these two years bygone wpon account of bearing a Child gotten by Robert Boggie of Kenniestoun in Fyfe, She had to Gods glory, and peace of her own Conscience, As the Lords of Justiciary will declaire, Ingenuously confest the way and maner of her guily, And the treacherous dealing, and abominable Councill given to her a poor ignorant woman by the said Robert Boggie the father for concealling the said Child, (For which She humbly conceaved he ought to be confronted and censured) But by divyne providence the child tho2 borne dead, was never wronged in its birth, and it was knowen She was with Child but concealled the bearing to her great and wnspeakable Lamentation, For which She Justly deserved to Sufferr; And Seeing She was a poor miserable object, and ane ignorant wretch destitut of freinds, throwing herselfe att ther lordships foot stooll for pity and accustomed clemency That the Just Sentence of her deserved death might be mitigat and changed into banishment, That She might be a living monument of a true penitent for her abominable guilt, And therfor Craveing to the effect wnderwrittin, As the said petition bears, The Lords of her Majesties Privie Councell haveing considered the petition given in to them By Bessie Muckiesone prisoner in the Tollbooth of Edinburgh, And the Samen being read in ther presence, The Saids Lords have Commuted and Changed, and heirby Commutes and Changes the Sentance of death pronounced against the Petitioner by the Commissioners of Justiciary for the cryme of concealling the birth of her own Child, from death to banishment furth of this kingdome, And have discharged and heirby discharges the said sentence of death to putt to any farder execution against the petitioner in tyme comeing, And in place therof have Decerned and Ordained, And heirby decerns and ordains the petitioner to inact herselfe in the books of privie Councell that She Shall depairt furth of this kingdome betwixt and the fyfteinth day of August nixt to come, And Shall never returne therto, without her Majestie or the Privie Councells leave wnder the paine of death; And ordains the magistrats of Edinburgh, and keepers of ther Tollbooth to Sett the petitioner att liberty wpon her inacting herselfe in maner forsaid Sic Subscribitur Montrose P. Buchan. Findlater. Northesk. Forfar. Dunmore. James Steuart. William Anstruther. John Maxwell. Alexander Campbell.

1. NRS, PC1/53, 481.

2. Insertion. This appears above the word ‘was’, which has been scored out.

1. NRS, PC1/53, 481.

2. Insertion. This appears above the word ‘was’, which has been scored out.