DECLARATION OF Mary O'Hara 7 February 1816

At Glasgow the seventh day of February eighteen hundred and sixteen years in presence of Robert Jamieson esquire one of the magistrates of said city

Appeared Mary O’Hara alias Mrs Quigly who being examined after her Declaration emitted on the third instant in the presence of Baillie Jamieson had been read over to her Declared that some parts of it are true, but there are a number of falsehoods in it, and it is now her intention to tell the truth.

That the Declarant has been only two years married to Patrick or Peter Quigly, and not thirteen as stated in her former Declaration. That it is thirteen years since the Declarant was married to her first husband, now deceased.

That it is not true as stated in the said Declaration bought from an old woman the half blanket therein referred to as having been found in her house and labelled in reference to the said Declaration; for the said half blanket was sold to the Declarant one night about a fortnight ago by John Smith now in custody, and whom she has since seen in Court. That Smith at the same time sold to her another half blanket, which is now on the Court table and has a label attached, and on which a docquet is now written and subscribed by the Magistrate as relative hereto. That the Declarant does not remember how much she paid to Smith for the said two half blankets, but she is certain, she did not buy any other things from him on the said occasion, and in particular any pieces of bed curtains, and she never bought curtains of any description from Smith.

That she has now seen introduced into the room one by one, and then withdrawn two lads calling themselves James Miller and William Campbell. That she knows them both and they have been in her house, Campbell only once, and Miller oftener. That she cannot be certain whether these lads or either of them were along with Smith when he sold the half blanket to the Declarant. Declared that on Thursday evening last, the first current, the said John Smith came into the Declarants house, accompanied by John Norval now in custody, and these persons sold to her in the front room, the two small pieces of gingham now on the Court table, and on a label attached to which there is a docquet, in reference to her former Declaration. That they also sold to her at the same time, the piece of check gingham, labelled, and on the Court table, which piece the Declarant on the following day delived to Miss Morrison dressmaker with instructions to make it into a gown for the Declarant. Declared that she really cannot recollect how much she paid to Smith and Norval for the said pieces of gingham. That she did not purchase any more of the said gingham, or any other article from these persons on the said night. That as already mentioned on the next day she gave the one piece, of which she supposed there might be near five yards, to Miss Morrison for the purpose of making a gown. And the other two pieces, the Declarant afterwards, in the course of the Friday, took out with her that she might buy in some shop as much more of the one as would make a frock for Kitty O’Hara her sister, and as much more of the other as would make a gown for the Declarant herself. That after trying two shops, she found no other gingham to match the said to pieces, and she therefore returned home with them, when the town officers were in her home making a search.

That the Declarant on getting to her house, saw a great crowd opposite the front door, and she therefore went through the close adjoining, that she might enter by the back door. And it was at this time the Declarant put into the small cellar under the stair at the back door, the said two pieces of gingham, which the officers soon after discovered and took away with them. That the Declarant now sees a docquet written on the label attached to the foresaid piece of gingham recovered from Miss Morrison as relative to this Declaration, and the Magistrate Examinater subscribes the said docquet, as the Declarant cannot write.

That she has this day seen in Court a young lad calling himself William Renwick. That this person has been in her house, but she cannot tell how often, or whether he ever was there with Smith or Norval. That to the best of her knowledge Renwick was not along with Smith or Norval at the bargain respecting the ginghams. Nor was the foresaid James Miller as far as she can recollect. Interrogated if there were not on the said occasion sold to the Declarant and her husband by John Smith, John Norval, James Miller and William Renwick, or one or other of them, three webs of check gingham, a web of scarlet flannel, a web of green Durant, and a web of tartan, for the sum of one pound thirteen shillings, Declares that there were not, and all she bought on that occasion were the three pieces of gingham before mentioned. That the Declarants husband was not present on this occasion, and was not in any way concerned in the matter of the said bargain.

Declares that in some time after this, the same evening, the said John Smith came back to the Declarants house accompanied by James Miller aforesaid, and Smith sold to the Declarant a sheet which was clean and folded up, and the Declarant paid him something for it, but how much she cannot recollect. That Smith did not say where he had got the said sheet, and the Declarant put no question on the subject either to him or to Miller. That Smith had a new hat in his hand, and he said he would keep it to himself, and the Declarant is certain he did not sell the said hat to her or offer to do so. That the Declarants husband was not present on this occasion either, altho’ he was in the house.

That the officers did not take away the said sheet when they searched the house on Friday last, but the Declarant saw it yesterday brought to the Court houses in a wet state, and heard a woman who called herself Mrs Gow claim it as her property. That the Declarant on this same occasion saw a label affixed to the said wet sheet, which is now on the Court table, and the Magistrate Examinater subscribes a docquet written on the said label as relative to this declaration.

That Smith and Miller did not remain long in the house at the time they sold the sheet to the Declarant, and she did not see them again till she was in custody. That they did not offer to sell her a shirt at the said sheet bargain, but she noticed a clean shirt on Miller, when he and Smith went out of her house.

Declares that the small trunk now on the Court table, and having a label attached, belongs to Kitty O’Hara, the Declarants sister but has not been in the Declarants house within the last two months. That Kitty O’Hara came over from Ireland with the Declarant and her husband nearly two years ago, and lived with them in Edinburgh while they kept a broker’s shop there, and she came from thence with them when they removed to Glasgow a short time after last Whitsunday. That Kitty left them soon after this and went to reside with her cousin Esther Darroch, now in custody, taking with her the said small trunk, which trunk she ever after kept in Darrochs, at least it was not brought back to the Declarants house, when Kitty returned to it.

That the Declarant has now seen introduced into the Court room and then withdrawn, a lad calling himself Robert McKinley. That she never saw this person in her life before, and to her knowledge he never was in the Declarants house. Interrogated if he did not on an evening in the course of last month bring to the house six silver watches and six gilt seals all now on the Court table, and if these articles were not on that occasion deposited with other articles in the said trunk, and the trunk thereon carried to Esther Darrochs house, Declares that she never saw, or heard of the said watches or seals till now, and the trunk has not been in the Declarants house within the last three or four months at any rate.

Declares that the Declarants brothers name John O’Hara and not Henry as stated in her last Declaration. Interrogated why she called him Henry Declares that that she cannot tell. That the Declarant was not in Camlachie at all on Friday last, neither was her husband to her knowledge, and the Declarant did not know anything of a chest containing goods having been carried from one house in Camlachie in which John O’Hara lodged to another house there.

And this Declaration consisting of these fifteen pages being read over to the Declarant in presence of the Magistrate aforesaid she adheres to the same as containing the truth freely emitted and fairly taken down, but declares she cannot write. In testimony whereof the Magistrate subscribes each page here of place and date first written, before these witnesses Mr Richard Henderson one of the Town Clerks of Glasgow and Andrew Simson clerk to the said Richard Henderson

(signed) Robert Jamieson, witnesses: Rich. Henderson, And. Simson

In addition Robert Jamieson has signed at the foot of every page of the written statement.