This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/4317/hZ.2ADIB/1684.1 Message Board Post: Reply from archivists. Some good, some not so good. More money please- Dear Ms Field-Ramey, William Muir Thank you for your e-mail of the 29th August concerning the above. The National Archives of Scotland holds trial records from the High Court of Justiciary (series ref: JC), which is the court that deals with the most serious criminal cases in Scotland. We also hold records from the Crown Office (series ref: AD), including the ‘precognitions’ from High Court cases. Precognitions are the documents put together before a trial to prepare the case against the accused, and they contain statements from witnesses about the offence. Most of the details of these records are found in full on our electronic catalogue, which is available on our website at www.nas.gov.uk. However, staff here have also created a database (the ‘Solemn Database’) which holds basic information about people tried at the High Court in the 19th century, information taken from the records themselves. The Solemn Database is only available to researchers in our West Search Room here at West Register House, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, and you cannot access it on the internet. Having checked the Solemn Database, I found the following information about William Muir: Address: Royal Lunatic Asylum, Gartnavel, Govan, Lanark Age: Unstated Occupation: Butcher Crimes Accused: Murder Place of Trial: Edinburgh Date of Trial: 3rd July 1876 Verdict: Diet deserted Verdict Comment: Insanity in bar of trial – diet deserted pro loco et tempore Other Notes: To be kept in strict custody at Perth Prison until her Majesty’s pleasure be known Precognition ref: AD14/76/208 Bk of Adjournal ref: JC4/75 Minute Bk ref: JC8/74, folios 137v & 138r Case Papers ref: JC26/1876/291 You will note that we have listed three different records of the trial: a Book of Adjournal entry (ref: JC4/75), a minute book entry (ref: JC8/74, folios 137v & 138r), and the case papers (ref: JC26/1876/291). High Court Books of Adjournal and Minute Books contain summaries of trial details, and as they are very similar it usually isn’t necessary to look at both records. The case papers are made up of various official trial documents but do not contain transcripts, which don’t exist for trials at this date. We can either supply you with a microfilm holding copies of the precognition, minute book entry and case papers at the estimated cost of £150.00, or we can supply paper copies at the prices listed below: Precognition (ref: AD14/76/208) £195.00 Minute Bk (ref: JC8/74, folios 137v & 138r) £10.00 Case Papers (ref: JC26/1876/291) £20.00 Total £225.00 Payment must be made in advance. If you decide to proceed with an order, please send a crossed cheque, drawn on a British account, or international money order, in sterling, made out in favour of the 'National Archives of Scotland', to: Accounts Department, National Archives of Scotland, General Register House, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3YY. You can also pay by the following credit and debit cards: Visa, MasterCard,