A
COPY
OF THE
INDICTMENT OF THE WITCHES AT BORROWSTOUNESS—THE PRECEPT FOR SUMMONING THE JURY AND WITNESSES—WITH THE WARRANT FOR THEIR EXECUTION.
Copy of the Indytment.
Annaple Thomsone, widow in Borrowstownes,
Margaret Pringle, relict of the deceast John Campbell sive-wright there, &c.
Yee, and ilk ane of yow ar indytted and accwsed, that where, notwithstanding, be the law of God, particularlie sett down in the 20 chapter of Leviticus, and eighteen chap. of Dewtronomie, and be the lawes and actes of parliament of this kingdome, and constant practiq; thereof, particularlie be the 73 act, 29 parliament Q. Marie, the cryme of witchcraft is declaired to be ane horreid, abominable and capitall cryme, punishable with the paines of death and confiscatiown of moveables. Never the less it is of veritie, that you have comitted, and ar gwyltie of the said cryme of witchcraft, in swa far ye have entered in pactiown with the devill, the enemie of your salvatiown, and have renownced our Blissed Lord and Savior, and your baptizme, and have given your selffes, both soulles and bodies to the devil, and have bein severall mettings with the devill, and swndrie wyth witches in diverse places; and particularlie, ye the said Annaple Thomsone had a metting with the devill the tyme of your weidowhood, befoer yow was maried to your last husband, in your cwming betwixt Linlithgow and Borrowstownes, where the devil, in the lyknes of ane black man, told yow, that you wis ane poore puddled bodie, and had ane evill lyiff, and difficultie to win throw the world; and promesed, iff yee wald followe him, and go alongst with him, yow should never want, bot have ane better lyiff: and, abowt fyve wekes therefter, the devill appeired to yow when yow wis goeing to the coal-hill abowt sevin a clock in the morning. Having renewed his former tentatiown, you did condeschend thereto, and declared yowrselff content to follow him, and becwm his servant; wherewpon the devill threw yow to the grownd, and had carnal copwlatiown with yow; and ye, and each persone of yow, wis at several mettings with the devill in the Linkes of Borrowstowness, and in the howss of yow Bessie Vickar, and ye did eatt and drink with the devill, and with on another, and with witches in hir howss in the night tyme; and the devill and the said Wm Craw browght the ale which ye drank, extending to abowt sevin gallons, from the howss of Elizabeth Hamilton; and yow the said Annaple had ane other metting abowt fyve wekes ago, when you wis goeing to the coal-hill of Grange, and he inveitted yow to go alongest and drink with him in the Grange-pannes; and yow the said Margaret Pringil have bein ane witch thir many yeeres bygane; hath renowncid yowr baptisme, and becwm the devill's servant, and promeis to follow him; and the devill had carnall copwlatiown with yow, and tuik you by the right hand, whereby it was, for eight dayes, grevowslie pained; but having it twitched of new againe, it imediatlie becam haill: and yow the said Margaret Hamilton has bein the devill's servant these eight or nyne yeres bygane; and he appered and conversed with yow at the toun-well of Borrowstownes, and several tymes in yowr awin howss, and drank severall choppens of ale with you, and thereafter had carnall copwlatiown with yow; and the devill gave yow ane fyve merk peice of gold, whilk a lyttil efter becam ane sklaitt stone; and yow the said Margaret Hamilton, relict of James Pollwart, has bein ane witch, and the devil's servant thertie yeres since, haith renowncid yowr baptizme as said is, and has had carnall copwlatiown with the devill in the lyknes of ane man, bot he removed from yow in the lyknes of ane black dowg: and ye, and ilk ane of yow wis at ane metting with the devill and wther witches at the Croce of Murestaine above Kinneil, upon the threttein of October last, where yow all danced, and the devill acted the pyiper, and where yow endevored to have distroyed Androw Mitchell, sone to John Mitchell, elder in Dean of Kinneill.
Precept qra Witches, and the Witnesses and Assyissers, 1679.
—— Cochran of Barbbachlay, Richard Elphinstown of ——, Saindelands of Hilderstown, —— Cornwal of Bonhard, Robert Hamilton of Dechmont, baillzie of the regallitie of Borrowstownes, Sir John Harper advocat, Mr William Dundas, and Mr John Prestowne advocats, commissioners of justiciarie, speciallie constitwte, nominat, and appoynted by the lordes off his majestie's most honowrable privie cownsell for the tryall and jwdging of the persones after namit; To our lovitts —— messengers, macers, and officers of cowrt, owr shirriffs in that pairt, conjunctlie and severallie, speciallie constitwte, greitting: For sameikillais the —— day of —— is appoynted by ws for the trying and judging off Anabill Thomson widow in Borrowstownes, Margaret Pringle relict of the decist John Campbell sive-wright ther, Margaret Hamilton relict of the deceist James Pollwart ther, Wm. Craw indweller ther, Bessie Viccar relict of the deceist James Pennie indweller ther, and Margarett Hamilton relict of the deceist Thomas Mitchell, who are apprehendit and imprisoned in the tolbuith of Borrowstownes, as suspect gwilty of the abominable cryme of witchcraft, by entering into pactiown with the devill, renwncing their baptism and comitting of malificies: Wherefoir nescessary it is, that the saides persons should be summonded to wnderlye the lawe for the samen, and that witness and assyssers should be cited against them, to the effect, and under the paines efter specifiet. Herefoir, this precept sein, we chairge you passe, and in owr soveraigne lordes name and authority, and owrs, comand and chairge the saides persones above compleaned upon, to compeir befoir ws, or any three of us (who are by our said commissiown declaired to be a quorum), within the said tolbuith of Borrowstownes, the nyneteen day of December nixt, in the howr of cawse, ther to wnderlye the lawe, for the crymes above specifiet, and that under the paines contained in the new acts of parliament: And sicklyik, summon, wairne and chairge ane assyse of honest and famous persones, not exceeding the number of fortie-five, togither with such witnesses who best know the veritie of the persones above compleaned upon ther gwiltynes, to compeir befoir us, day and place foirsaid, in the howr of cawse, the persones of[10] witness, to bear leall and soothfast witnessing in the premiss, and the inqueist to passe upon the assyse each persone, under the paine of ane hundreth merks, according to justice, ais ye will answer to us therwpon: the whilk to doe commits to you, conjunctlie and severalie, our fwll power, be thir our lettres, delyvering them be you dewllie execut and indorset againe to the beirer. Given under our hands at Borrowstownes, the twentie-nynt day of November, ane thousande six hunder and seventie nyne yeirs.
(Sic Subscribitur)