Commission by the Council, 3 March 1696, Edinburgh

Procedure: petition, 31 December 1696, Edinburgh

At Edinburgh the thrid day of march Jaj vjc nynty and sex years

A1696/3/151

Commission by the Council

Commissione for tryeing Janet Widdrow alleadged guilty of Witchcraft

The Lords of his Majesties privy Councill being informed That Janet Widdrow in the paroch of Kilmacolme and shirrifdome of Renfrew presently prisoner in the Tolbooth of Paisley is alleadged guilty of the horrid Cryme of Witchcraft and hes comitted severall Malfices And Considering it will be a great deall of Charges and expences to bring the said Janet Widdrow to this place in ordor to a tryall before the said Comissioners of Justitiary Besyds That severall inconveniencies may arrise by her transportatione and the said Lords lykewayes considering that this horride cryme cannot be tryed and judged by any persons in the Countrey without a warrand and Commissione from them for that effect And the said Lords being desyreous to have the said matter brought to a tryall That the persone guilty may receive condigne punishment and others may be deterred from committing so horrid a Cryme in tyme comeing They Doe Hereby give full power, warrand and Commission to William Cunynghame of Craigends and Alexander Porterfeild of Duchall William Muir of Glanderstoune Robert Sempill Shirriff Deput of Renfrew John Craufurd of Milntoune resideing in Glasgow John Caldwell of that ilk and Alexander Porterfeild of Fulwood or any fyve of them whome the said Lords doe hereby declair to be a sufficient quorum The said shirriff deput being alwayes one of the said fyve To take tryall of and to judge and doe justice upon the said Janet Widdrow for the said cryme of witchcraft and in ordor therto To meet and Conveen at Paisley the seventh day of may next to come And there to accept of this present Commissione and upon ther acceptance to administrat the oath of fidelity to the person whom my Lord Justice Clerk or James Montgomerie of Langshaw Clerk to the Justice Court shall deput or Substitut to be Clerk to this principall Commissione and if the said James Montgomerie shall neglect or delay to deput or substitut a Clerk as said is being requyred therto with power to the said Commissioners or ther said quorum to choise ther owne Clerk for whom they shall be answerable with power Lykewayes to the said persons hereby commissionat or ther said quorum to creat make and Constitut Serjants Dempsters and other other2 members of the said Court and to issue out and Cause raise precepts of indictment at the instance of Master Andrew Cochrane procurator Fiscall for his Majesties interest in the said matter against the said Janet Widdrow for ceitting her and the assysers and witneses in the ordinary maner and under the usuall paines and certificationes To compear before the said Commissioners hereby commissionat or their said quorum at Paisley the […] day of […] therafter with full power also to them to amerciate and fyne the absent assysers and witneses and the amerciaments and fynes to uplift for their owne use and behoove and to adjourne themselves from tyme to tyme To the effect that the pannell being fully heared the said Commissioners or their said quorum may judge and determine the relevancie of the Lybell and to call ane inqueist of fourty fyve persons who are to be ceitted in the assyse of the said pannell and out of that number to choise ane assyse of fyfteen and to administrat to them the ordinary oath in the usuall terms And with power also to the said Comissioners or their said quorum to examine the witneses ceitted in presence of the said Pannall and sworen inqueist upon the poynts that shall be admitted to Probatione And therafter to remitt the said Lybell and interloquitor to be given by them anent the relevancie thereof and the depositiones of the witneses to be taken in maner foresaid to the knowledge of the said inqueist and assyse whom they appoynt to elect a Chancellor or President with a Clark and after reading and peruseing of the said indictment interloquitor to be pronoun[c]ed theron and depositiones of the witneses to be taken in presence of the said pannell and assyse To find the lybell proven against the said pannall or to assoilzie her according to Law as they will answere to God and a good conscience That they draw up their verdict accordingly and delyver the same sealled by the Hand of ther Chancellor or President to the said Persons or their quorum whom they hereby authorize and Conmissionat to advyce the Haill proces and verdict of the inqueist with the depositions of the witneses and to give and pronounce sentance Condemnitor or absolvitor in the said matter according to Justice And in case the said Judges shall find the said pannell guilty of the said horrid cryme Laid to her Charge with power to the said Commissioners or their said quorum To decerne and Adjudge the said pannell to be burned or otherwayes executed to death after such maner as they shall think fitt appoynts the said Commissioners or their said quorum and Clerk to transmitt the Haill proces which shall be led before them against the said Janet Widdrow and severall steps therof and verdict of the inqueist to be given thereupon to the said Lords of his majesties privie Councill betwixt and the first day of July next to come to be considered by them And Discharges the said Commissioners or their quorum to suffer the sentance which shall be pronounced by them against the said Janet to be put to execution or to appoynt or affix a day for executeing thereof without speciall order and warrand had and obtained from the said Lords of privie Councill for that effect And generally with full power to the said Comissioners or their said quorum to act doe and perform all and sundrie things whatsomever competent and incumbent to be acted done and performed by any Commissioners of Justiciary hetherto nominated and appoynted by the said Lords of privie Councill And the said Lords appoynts the said Commissioners or their said quorum within the space of ane moneth after pronounceing and executing of their sentance in this matter To report to the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary which the Clerk to the Criminall Court is hereby requyred to record therein as he will be answereable Given at Edinburgh the thrid day of march Jaj vjc nynty and sex years sic subscribitur Tweddale Cancell Southerland Lauderdale Kintore Carmichaell Polwarth Archibald Murray Robert Sinclair John Maxuell

At Edinburgh the thrid day of march Jaj vjc nynty and sex years

A1696/3/151

Commission by the Council

Commissione for tryeing Janet Widdrow alleadged guilty of Witchcraft

The Lords of his Majesties privy Councill being informed That Janet Widdrow in the paroch of Kilmacolme and shirrifdome of Renfrew presently prisoner in the Tolbooth of Paisley is alleadged guilty of the horrid Cryme of Witchcraft and hes comitted severall Malfices And Considering it will be a great deall of Charges and expences to bring the said Janet Widdrow to this place in ordor to a tryall before the said Comissioners of Justitiary Besyds That severall inconveniencies may arrise by her transportatione and the said Lords lykewayes considering that this horride cryme cannot be tryed and judged by any persons in the Countrey without a warrand and Commissione from them for that effect And the said Lords being desyreous to have the said matter brought to a tryall That the persone guilty may receive condigne punishment and others may be deterred from committing so horrid a Cryme in tyme comeing They Doe Hereby give full power, warrand and Commission to William Cunynghame of Craigends and Alexander Porterfeild of Duchall William Muir of Glanderstoune Robert Sempill Shirriff Deput of Renfrew John Craufurd of Milntoune resideing in Glasgow John Caldwell of that ilk and Alexander Porterfeild of Fulwood or any fyve of them whome the said Lords doe hereby declair to be a sufficient quorum The said shirriff deput being alwayes one of the said fyve To take tryall of and to judge and doe justice upon the said Janet Widdrow for the said cryme of witchcraft and in ordor therto To meet and Conveen at Paisley the seventh day of may next to come And there to accept of this present Commissione and upon ther acceptance to administrat the oath of fidelity to the person whom my Lord Justice Clerk or James Montgomerie of Langshaw Clerk to the Justice Court shall deput or Substitut to be Clerk to this principall Commissione and if the said James Montgomerie shall neglect or delay to deput or substitut a Clerk as said is being requyred therto with power to the said Commissioners or ther said quorum to choise ther owne Clerk for whom they shall be answerable with power Lykewayes to the said persons hereby commissionat or ther said quorum to creat make and Constitut Serjants Dempsters and other other2 members of the said Court and to issue out and Cause raise precepts of indictment at the instance of Master Andrew Cochrane procurator Fiscall for his Majesties interest in the said matter against the said Janet Widdrow for ceitting her and the assysers and witneses in the ordinary maner and under the usuall paines and certificationes To compear before the said Commissioners hereby commissionat or their said quorum at Paisley the […] day of […] therafter with full power also to them to amerciate and fyne the absent assysers and witneses and the amerciaments and fynes to uplift for their owne use and behoove and to adjourne themselves from tyme to tyme To the effect that the pannell being fully heared the said Commissioners or their said quorum may judge and determine the relevancie of the Lybell and to call ane inqueist of fourty fyve persons who are to be ceitted in the assyse of the said pannell and out of that number to choise ane assyse of fyfteen and to administrat to them the ordinary oath in the usuall terms And with power also to the said Comissioners or their said quorum to examine the witneses ceitted in presence of the said Pannall and sworen inqueist upon the poynts that shall be admitted to Probatione And therafter to remitt the said Lybell and interloquitor to be given by them anent the relevancie thereof and the depositiones of the witneses to be taken in maner foresaid to the knowledge of the said inqueist and assyse whom they appoynt to elect a Chancellor or President with a Clark and after reading and peruseing of the said indictment interloquitor to be pronoun[c]ed theron and depositiones of the witneses to be taken in presence of the said pannell and assyse To find the lybell proven against the said pannall or to assoilzie her according to Law as they will answere to God and a good conscience That they draw up their verdict accordingly and delyver the same sealled by the Hand of ther Chancellor or President to the said Persons or their quorum whom they hereby authorize and Conmissionat to advyce the Haill proces and verdict of the inqueist with the depositions of the witneses and to give and pronounce sentance Condemnitor or absolvitor in the said matter according to Justice And in case the said Judges shall find the said pannell guilty of the said horrid cryme Laid to her Charge with power to the said Commissioners or their said quorum To decerne and Adjudge the said pannell to be burned or otherwayes executed to death after such maner as they shall think fitt appoynts the said Commissioners or their said quorum and Clerk to transmitt the Haill proces which shall be led before them against the said Janet Widdrow and severall steps therof and verdict of the inqueist to be given thereupon to the said Lords of his majesties privie Councill betwixt and the first day of July next to come to be considered by them And Discharges the said Commissioners or their quorum to suffer the sentance which shall be pronounced by them against the said Janet to be put to execution or to appoynt or affix a day for executeing thereof without speciall order and warrand had and obtained from the said Lords of privie Councill for that effect And generally with full power to the said Comissioners or their said quorum to act doe and perform all and sundrie things whatsomever competent and incumbent to be acted done and performed by any Commissioners of Justiciary hetherto nominated and appoynted by the said Lords of privie Councill And the said Lords appoynts the said Commissioners or their said quorum within the space of ane moneth after pronounceing and executing of their sentance in this matter To report to the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary which the Clerk to the Criminall Court is hereby requyred to record therein as he will be answereable Given at Edinburgh the thrid day of march Jaj vjc nynty and sex years sic subscribitur Tweddale Cancell Southerland Lauderdale Kintore Carmichaell Polwarth Archibald Murray Robert Sinclair John Maxuell

1. NRS, PC1/50, 362-5.

2. Sic.

1. NRS, PC1/50, 362-5.

2. Sic.