Court cases

At a Justice of Peace Court lately held at Turriff, in an action at the instance of Mr Chisholm in Lendrum, against a female servant for disobedience of orders, and deserting her service, - the Justices fined her in the forfeiture of her wages, and twenty shillings.

On Monday, John Brown, a vagrant, who had been detected in the act of stealing some wearing apparel from a farm house in the parish of Fyvie, where he had been charitably allowed a night's lodgings, was sentenced by the Sheriff, to confinement and hard labour in Bridewell, for six months.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 7th May 1817.

Cases brought before the Justices of Peace of Aberdeen

On Monday last, Janet Douglas, otherwise Oliver, a vagrant and incorrigible vagabond, who was about six years ago imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Aberdeen, along with a John Oliver, said to be her husband, for the crime of coining and uttering base money, and also committed to Bridewell, about four years ago, in virgue of a Warrant from the Justices of the Peace, for some crime she was guilty of about Tarland; was duly convicted before the Magistrates, of obtaining money from the Lieges in an illegal manner, by pretending to be deaf and dumb, to tell fortunes, and to have a licence from the King certifying her capacity to cure different disorders, &c.  She was sentenced to two years confinement in the House of Correction for this city, and to be kept to hard labour, and afterwards banished the Burgh and liberties for life.  And on the 23d inst. Donald Campbell, residing at Putachyside of Aberdeen, and Margaret Ross, his spouse, who were some time ago banished the Burgh, by the Magistrates, for Harbouring such idle and vagrant persons as the said Janet Douglas, and who had been guilty of harbouring her on the present occasion; along with Helen Ellis, at Backtraps of Aberdeen, a person of notoriously bad character, who was banished from Banff and Peterhead lately, and who at present keeps a house of bad fame, were disposed of as follows, viz., the said Donald Campbell and Margaret Ross, were fined in the sum of £5, and committed to prison till payment, and also banished the Burgh and liberties for the space of Three Years; the cause was continued against the said Helen Ellis.

Reward for detention of Helen Sutherland

CHILD EXPOSED.

WHEREAS a FEMALE CHILD, apparently about six weeks old, was found exposed at Hilton, in the parish of Old Machar, on the morning of Friday the 19th ult, and that there is the strongest reason to suspect, that the said Child belongs to a Woman calling herself HELEN SUTHERLAND, who was discharged from Bridewell, with her Female Child, on the preceding day,

A REWARD OF FIVE GUINEAS

Is hereby offered, to any person who will apprehend and detain the said Helen Sutherland, or give such information respecting her, to Hugh Fullerton, Procurator Fiscal of the County of Aberdeen, as may be the means of seuring and bringing her to justice.

The said Woman is of middle stature; has brown hair, and a red spot or growth upon her right eye-lid; - Had on a coarse blue gown, when she left Bridewell.  She was sent to Bridewell from Old Deer, by a sentence of the Justices; and being a vagrant, it is probable she assumes different names, according as it suits her convenience.

Aberdeen, August 3, 1814.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 3rd August 1814.

Alexander Bower, Fordyce

Upon Saturday the 8th curt. a vagrant calling himself Alex. Bower, a native of the parish of Fordyce, was apprehended at Huntly by the constables, and brought before the Justices there, charged with theft; and the same being clearly proven, they sentenced him to be confined in Bridewell (which seems to him to be a place of amusement, he having been there twice before) for the space of twelve months, therein to be kept at hard labour.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 12th May 1813.

Jean Watson, Banff

On Sunday last, Jean Watson, a vagrant from Banff, called on a medical gentleman in this place, under pretence of being seized with the pains of labour; and being from motives of humanity sent into a public house, where she was very kindly treated and put to bed, waited an opportunity, when the room was quiet, and carried off sundry articles of wearing apparel, belonging to one of the maid-servants.  She was aferwards apprehended with the stolen property in her possession, and being brought before the magistrate, the theft was proven, when she was sentenced to three months confinement in Bridewell.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 5th May 1813.