Circuit court

On Wednesday, the Court met at ten o'clock, when William Leisk, grain dealer from Banffshire, accused of forgery, or uttering and using a Bill, knowing it to be forged, was put to the bar.  A material witness, the brother of the pannel, being absent, and his father, another witness, being allowed by the Court to decline giving evidence, the Public Prosecutor restricted the libel to an arbitrary punishment; and the libel having been found proven by the Jury, the Court sentenced the pannel to seven years transportation beyond seas.

Robert Stephen, accused of stealing 4 ewes, and a wedder, from Wm. Dickie, at Earlseat of Cruden, and of being habit and repute a thief.  The libel against him being restricted by the Depute Advocate, he pled guilty, and was sentenced to 14 years transportation beyond seas.

Peter Clark, accused of stealing a ewe and lamb from James Currie, at Braeach of Fordyce, having pled guilty, and the libel being also restricted, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment in the Tolbooth of Banff.

William Strath and George Strath, from Boghead of Fyvie, and John Thom, flesher in Oldmeldrum, were indicted - the said William Strath for stealing, from a house in Inverury, a Silver Watch, with chains and seals; and George Strath and John Thom for aiding and assisting William Strath in breaking out of the jail of Inverury.  William Strath was outlawed for not appearing; George Strath being found not guilty and the libel against John Thom not proven, they were assoilzed and dismissed from the bar.

The diet against John Salman, alias Salomon, John McCraw, William Forbes, and John Duchison, accused of theft and housebreaking, and John Davidson, accused of theft, on account of the absence of a material witness, was deserted pro loco et tempore, and they were re committed on a new warrant.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 29th April 1818.

Circuit court intelligence

William Lees, convicted of theft and assault, as mentioned before, received sentence of transportation for seven years, and David Kemp, convicted of theft, was sentenced to eighteen months confinement and hard labour in Bridewell.

William Strath, cattle dealer in Boghead, parish of Fyvie, accused of theft and assault, pleaded Guilty to the indictment, and was sentenced to a year's hard labour in Bridewell, and ordained to find caution to keep the peace for two years thereafter, under a penalty of 600 merks Scots.

William Forbes was indicted for the murder of John Allan, apprentice ship carpenter, on 16th March last, by stabbing him in the side with a pen-knife, on the road leading from Aberdeen along the Spittal to Old Aberdeen.  A number of witnesses were examined for the Crown, and several in exculpation of the pannel.  The Jury found, by a plurality of voices, the libel not proven; whereupon the pannel, after a suitable admonition from Lord Pitmilly, was dismissed from the bar.

William Hay, accused of theft, was upon his own petition, consented to by the Depute Advocate, banished from Scotland for life, under the usual certification.

The last trial before the Court was that of John Garden, alias Shockey de Garden, accused of three several acts of theft, and of being habit and repute a thief.  After the evidence had been gone through on the part of the Crown, the Advocate Depute restricted the libel to an arbitrary punishment, and admitted that the charge of habit and repute had not been proven.  The Jury, after deliberating for a few minutes, returned a verdict, finding the first charge not sufficiently proven, and the Pannel Guilty of the two last; whereupon he was sentenced to be transported beyond seas for seven years.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 24th April 1816.

James Diack, William Strath, John Mowat

A complaint by the Procurator Fiscal, was lately brought before the Justices of the Peace, against James Diack, in Warthill, parish of Rayne, and William Strath and John Mowat, in the parish of Fyvie, for a violent assault, battery, and breach of the peace, at and immediately after the Inverury Market, in September last - in particular, for breaking the windows of William Maitland; striking and abusing William Shand, and his wife; and for striking and maltreating George Cowie, keeper of Drimmies toll-bar - all which would have been completely established by a number of witnesses.  But the Defenders having, immediately upon being cited, made the fullest recompence to the parties injured; and having also come to town, acknowledging these offences, and thrown themselves upon the mercy of the Court; the Justices were, on this occasion, disposed to cause the Fiscal drop further proceedings, on his receiving payment of the expenses incurred.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 12th October 1814.

William Strath, Fyvie, convicted

Some years ago, Messers. LEYS & Co. and GORDON BARRON, & Co. put up a considerable number of LAMPS on the turnpike leading from town to Woodside, and places adjacent; and having since lighted and upheld them at their own expence, to the advantage, convenience, and comfort not only of their own servants, but of the public at large.  Occasionally a few were broken by idle boys; but nothing of any importance till lately, that they found about Nineteen demolished in one night.  Rewards were offered for discovery of the culprits, and all means used for their detection.  At last, owing to the activity of SIMON GRANT, Constable, (to whom the public have been often indebted), it was found out, that William Strath, cattle-dealer, Jackstown, parish of Fyvie, was a principal in these disgraceful proceedings.  He was accordingly apprehended on a warrant from the Justices of Peace, brought to town, and upon his own confession, fined in Twenty Guineas, and sent to Bridewell for three months.  Some of his accomplices are discovered, and will be immediately proceeded against in the same way.  And it is to be hoped that these salutary corrections will put an end to lamp-breaking, both in town and country.

Published in the Aberdeen Journal, Wednesday 25th March, 1812.