DECLARATION OF Mary O’Hara 3 February 1816

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

Appeared Mary O’Harra wife of Patrick Quigly publican in little dow hill who being examined Declares that she is a native of County Antrim, is thirty two years of age, and has been thirteen years married to the said Patrick Quigly. That yesterday afternoon their house was searched by Calder and other officers, who afterwards took the Declarant and her husband to the police office. That about seven o’clock in the evening, the officers took the Declarant from the police office back to her own house accompanied by John Smith now in custody, and they again searched the house, in which they found the half blanket, the sheet, two table cloths, and pair of new shoes now on the Court table, to each of which articles a label is now attached as relative hereto. That these articles were thereon taken away to the police office, but the Declarant did not see any thing else found in the house.

And being shown two pieces of gingham which she observes are attached together by a sealed label Declares that she never saw them before, and knows nothing about them. Interrogated if she and her husband have a cellar in their possession attached to their said house and situated close to the back door of their house Declares that she knows there is a cellar in that place, but she never made any use of it, and never had a key to it; indeed it had no key. That she has heard it said that the said two pieces of gingham were found in the said cellar last night on the occasion of her house being searched, but as to this the Declarant can say nothing. Declares that as to the said half blanket and pair of new shoes, the Declarant bought them one day about a month ago from an old woman, who drank the most part of the price with the Declarant. That the Declarant had seen this woman once before, but does not know her name or where she resides. That she does not recollect how much she paid the old woman for them. That as to the sheet, it was made by the Declarant herself a year and a half ago, and she has had it ever since. That as to the two table clothes, she bought them near half a year ago, one of them from a man and the other from a boy.

 Declares that she has not known the foresaid John Smith long. That the first time she ever saw him was upon a Sunday about five weeks ago, when he came into her house with two boys, and on this occasion some officers came in and searched all three. That these boys were in her house once or twice since, drinking porter. That on Thursday night last, betwixt nine and ten o’clock, a little boy with large eyes, and dressed in black clothes, came into the house with another boy, and drank two pots of porter, and they wished to play cards, but were not allowed to do so.

That the Declarant has a cousin named Esther Darroch wife of Peter McGuire who lives in the Whiskey Close Calton. And she has a brother in Camlachie named Henry O’Harra. That she has no other brother but Dan who enlisted in the Train and went away half a year ago. Interrogated, Declared that she knows nothing about a chest with goods having been taken from her brother’s house yesterday. That there were no other boys in her house on the said Thursday night, than the boy in black clothes, and his companion aforesaid. That she now sees the magistrate subscribe docquets written on the labels aforesaid attached to the articles found in the Declarant’s house, and also a docquet written on the label attached to the said two pieces of gingham. That the Declarant never bought any articles from the said John Smith. Neither did her husband so far as she knows.

And this declaration being read over to the Declarant in the presence of the magistrate she adheres thereto as containing the truth and therefore, as the Declarant cannot write the magistrate subscribes each page place and date foresaid before Mr Richard Henderson one of the Town Clerks of Glasgow and Andrew Simson his Clerk.

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

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