DECLARATION OF Patrick Quigly 5 February 1816

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

Appeared Patrick Quigly present prisoner in the Tolbooth of Glasgow who being examined declared that he was born in County Derry, and may be about thirty two years of age. That he kept a shop in Ireland for several years but being unfortunate in business, he became a travelling merchant, which occupation he afterwards abandoned, on account of ill health, and he has since kept a public house in little dow hill. That it is two years since he married his present wife, Mary O’Hara. That they have no family, and the only persons who resided in the house with them were Kitty O’Hara their servant and Mary Martin and Peggy Harley all now in custody.

That the Declarant applied to the Magistrates for a license to sell liquor. That indeed he did not make any such application, and was some time ago fined by the Justices for selling liquor without a license. That the Declarant’s premises are situated in little dow hill, and consist of a small fore shop, and a room to the front, and of a small back closet, which has a door into the back close. That there is a kind of vault under the shop floor, in which they kept their coal. That they have no other cellar. That there is a sort of closet under the back stair, to which there is a door but no lock, and the Declarant does not know that there ever was anything kept in the said closet, but he did not conceive he had any thing to do with it.

Declares that he has now seen introduced (sic) the Court Room and then withdrawn a boy calling himself John Smith and another calling himself William Renwick, and another calling himself John Norval. Interrogated if he knows these lads or any of them Declares that he never before saw the said William Renwick or John Norval, but it runs in his head that he has seen John Smith. That he cannot tell where he has seen him. Interrogated if any of these lads came into his house on Thursday evening last the first current carrying goods Declares that none of them were in his house at all last week, that the Declarant knows of.

 And being shown two pieces of check gingham attached to a sealed label, and another piece attached to another label Declares that he had no goods of this description in his house in the course of the last week, and there were no webs, or pieces of check gingham in his house lately that he knows of. And being shown a small trunk having a sealed label attached, Declared that he never saw the said trunk before, but his wifes sister Kitty O’Hara, told him three or four months ago that she had a trunk in Esther Darrochs house in the whiskey close. Interrogated why Kitty, being the Declarants servant should keep her trunk in Esther Darrochs house Declared that it was because the Declarant sometime ago had a good deal of clothes stolen from his house and he supposes that Kitty was afraid to trust her clothes.

That the Declarant now signs? sees? A docquet to each of the labels so attached to the said pieces of gingham and trunk. Declares that he has now seen a docquet written on a label attached to six silver watches. That he never saw the six watches before. That he has seen a lad introduced into Court, who calls himself Robert McKinley. That the Declarant does not know this person, but he resembles a sailor who came into his house one evening three weeks ago with a woman and drank some half mutchkins. That to his knowledge the said Robert McKinley never brought the said six watches to the Declarant’s house or left them there. Declares that a lad whom he has now seen introduced into Court and heard call himself James Miller, came into the Declarant’s house with a young boy on a Sunday evening some weeks ago and Calder the officer came in and took them away.

Declares that he has been many a time in Camlachie with his wifes brother John O’Hara. That it was upon Friday afternoon last the second current that the Declarant was apprehended and his house was searched. That in the previous part of that day, or in the course of the day before the Declarant assisted John O’Hara in carrying from a house in Camlachie, in which John lodges, a box or chest belonging to the Declarant containing some liquor. That on the said Friday or Saturday the Declarant and John O’Hara removed this caine chest from one house in Camlachie to another to which John had removed his lodgings, and from thence they brought the box into Glasgow as already mentioned. Declares that he has now seen introduced into Court a man calling himself James Rodgers, who says he lives in Camlachie. That the Declarant never saw this man before, and it was not to his house that the Declarant and O’Hara carried the foresaid box.

And this Declaration being read over to him in presence of the Magistrate aforesaid he adheres thereto as containing the truth and therefore subscribes each page along with the Magistrate place and date foresaid before these witnesses William Davie Writer in Glasgow and Andrew Simson Clerk to Mr Richard Henderson one of the Town Clerks of Glasgow.

(signed) Patrick Quigly, Robert Jamieson witnesses: Wm Davie, And. Simson

In addition Patrick Quigly and Robert Jamieson have signed at the foot of every page of the written statement.