DECLARATION OF Patrick Quigly 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 Patrick or Peter Quigly present prisoner in the Tolbooth of Glasgow who being examined after his Declaration emitted on the fifth instant in presence of Baillie Jamieson had been read over to him Declared that it does not contain the truth, but he now means to tell all he knows.

Declared that on Thursday evening last the first of February current, but as to the hour he cannot be certain the prisoners John Smith, John Norval and William Renwick came to the Declarant’s house, and in the fore room thereof delivered to the Declarant and his wife three pieces of check gingham, one piece of scarlet flannel, and one piece of green durant, which goods were then put into the bed in the apartment. That the said pieces might contain about two yards each or thereby, but not more. That the said lads offered these pieces for sale to the Declarant, who then bought all the five pieces for a guinea or twenty shillings, which money was then paid down in silver by the Declarant’s wife, and at the same time Smith, Norval and Renwick divided it equally among them.

That on this occasion the said persons began to accuse one another of having stolen more goods than those which they had just brought to the Declarant’s house, and they then went out in order to visit the place from which they had stolen them, which place however they did not name. That John Smith came back alone immediately afterwards, and sat down in the fore room with the Declarant and his wife, and in a very few minutes James Miller now in custody came in and joined Smith’s company. That Smith and Miller went out shortly, and in about half an hour returned, Miller carrying in his hand a web of tartan, which the Declarant and his wife were examining and bargaining for, when Norval and Renwick came in. That the Declarant did not measure the tartan and cannot tell how many yards were of it, but he purchased it from Miller and Smith for thirteen or fourteen shillings, and the money was paid to Smith by the Declarant’s wife.

That this was in presence of Norval and Renwick. That all four soon left the Declarants house, but in about an hour they returned, and Smith offered to sell to the Declarant a fine new hat, but Smith immediately said he would keep it for his own use, and some words getting up between him and his companion about this, they asked the Declarant what he thought Smith ought to pay for it, and the Declarant then said two or three shillings should be allowed for it. That as Smith had a hat of his own, he left the new one with the Declarant in whose keeping it remained, and he will tell by and by what has become of it.

That on this occasion one of the said lads produced to the Declarants wife a sheet, which she bought for a shilling, or thereby, and the price of it was expended in liquor, drank by all four. That it was about eight o’clock, when Norval, Smith, Miller and Renwick left the Declarants house the last time, and they were not in it again. That the Declarant has omitted to state that the said persons on the last occasion had a shirt, which Miller said would do for him, and he put it on his person.

Declared that on the said night there was a fire in Queen Street. And it was upon the Friday, the day following, that the Declarants house was searched, and himself, his wife and family taken into custody. That the Declarant knows, that on the said Friday forenoon, his wife took off as much of one of the pieces of gingham, as would make a gown for herself, and delivered it to a Miss Morrison a dress maker, who lives in the Land behind the Declarant, that she might make it. That when the search was made in the Declarant’s house, on the Friday afternoon, as aforesaid the officers took away a sheet and other things; but it was on a subsequent search soon after, that the party brought away from the house to the police office, where the Declarant then was, a half blanket and two small pieces of gingham, which pieces of gingham the Declarant next day learned had been found in a small cellar at the back of the Declarants house. That he cannot tell who put the said two pieces into the said cellar, but supposes his wife can tell that. That when last examined, he was shewn two pieces of gingham attached to a sealed label, and he now sees them on the Court table, having a docquet written on the label and his name subscribed thereat, as relative to his said former Declaration. That the said pieces are of the same pattern, and description every way, with the gingham which the Declarant bought from Smith, Norval and Renwick, and he supposed they are parts of the same, but as to this he cannot be quite positive. Declares that he must give the same account as to the piece of gingham having a label attached, and docquettes in reference to his last Declaration. That the Declarant did not see his wife take off the piece of gingham from one of the pieces bought from the foresaid lads, for the purpose of being made into a gown as above declared to but his wife only told him she had done so.

Interrogated what has become of the rest of the pieces of gingham, and of the piece of scarlet flannel and piece of green Durant and web of tartan, Declares, that on the said Thursday night about nine o’clock, John O’Hara, the Declarants wifes brother, called at the house, and by the Declarants desire took away the said goods in his apron that they might be deposited in John’s lodgings, in the house of Jean Buchanan in Camlachie. That the Declarants reason for this proceeding was to prevent the recovery of the goods in case his house should be searched. That on the Friday forenoon the Declarant and his wife went out to John O’Hara’s lodgings, the Declarant carrying with him the hat aforesaid, left in his charge by John Smith, because he was afraid it might be searched for. That O’Hara was in his lodgings, and told the Declarant he had put the foresaid articles into his chest, namely the large chest now in Court, and which was then standing in his room, and the Declarant thereon put the hat into this chest. That John then told them he had a taken a room in another house, and the Declarant taking one end of the chest, and O’Hara the other they removed it with its contents from Jean Buchanans house to the other referred to by O’Hara, which last is on the north side of the street of Camlachie and close by the bridge. That the room in which they left the trunk was unfurnished, and the Declarant and O’Hara, and the Declarants wife who had accompanied them with the trunk then came off and proceeded directly towards Glasgow.

 That on reaching the dow-hill, the Declarant found a crowd at his door, and ascertaining that a party were searching his house, the Declarant and his wife entered it, and were made prisoners; but John O’Hara had gone off on learning the cause of the crowd, and the Declarant has not seen or heard of him since. That if the goods are….

The manuscript declaration ends here, and as a result no statement is available about the names of witnesses.

The signature of Patrick Quigly and magistrate Robert Jamieson are to be found at the foot of every page.