Hello Tammy A "black guard" was a scroundrel. If you google it you will find a number of sources for the word. There is an English slang word "blaggard" meaning 'scroundrel' which sounds as if it may have derived from "black guard". The mention of William TAIT in the newspaper article is interesting. I lived in Gilmerton as a child and there was a small provisions shop in the village owned by a "Mrs TAIT". I think she came from a long-standing Gilmerton family. I had a look for the trial in the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) catalogue and found the precognition (pre-trial papers) relating to Robert CHARLETON and George THOMSON for the crime of discharging loaded firearms, under ref: AD/14/21/99. I couldn't find a catalogue entry for the trial itself. Robert CHARLETON was a ''Dogbreaker'' of Bruntsfield Links, Edinburgh. George THOMSON was a wright who also lived in Edinburgh. I also found a catalogue entry for the trial papers of George THOMSON "for the crime of discharging loaded firearms with intent to commit murder at public Turnpike Road, Gilmerton, parish of Libberton". Ref JC26/1822/24. He was tried on 8 July 1822 and the verdict was 'Not Proven'. There is a footnote to the catalogue entry which says: ''See case of Robert Charleton, 28 May 1821 (see JC8/16/8v)''. I found a related catalogue reference (JC8/16) in the High Court Minute Book series E, as follows: "Margaret SCOTT, wife of James SCOTT, farm servant, m.s. MURRAY, Address: Gilmerton, Edinburgh. Entry relating to the crime of failure to appear as witness. Date of trial: 28 May 1821, Verdict: Guilty, Sentence: Fined - 100 merks Scots William Nimmo STEVENSON, doctor of Medicine, surgeon, Address: Gilmerton, Edinburgh. Entry relating to the crime of failure to appear as witness. Date of trial: 28 May 1821, Verdict: Guilty, Sentence: Fined - 100 merks Scots John ANDERSON, labourer, Address: Gilmerton, with John BELL, tailor. Entry relating to the crime of failure to appear as witness. Date of trial: 28 May 1821, Verdict: Guilty, Sentence: Fined - 100 merks Scots", So it seems the main trial date was 28 May 1821 and that for some reason a number of witnesses didn't turn up, including the Doctor; and that George THOMSON was not tried until a year later. I don't know what has happened to the May 1821 trial papers. The NAS should be able to tell you that. But when I obtained papers relating to a trial at the High Court of Justiciary in 1836, I found that there was much more information in the precognition papers. I suggest that when you contact the NAS you should give them the various AD/ and JC/ references above. Rhoda ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tammy Mitchell" <ancestry@ripandrevmedia.ca> To: <midlothian@rootsweb.com>; "Edinburgh Room" <EdinburghRoom@edinburgh.gov.uk>; "Tammy Mitchell" <ancestry@ripandrevmedia.ca> Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 7:22 AM Subject: [MIDLOTHIAN] Gilmerton Shooting & Trial - Robert Mitchell & Elizabeth Mitchell's Gilmerton Property > Hi Listers, > > I have found a newspaper clipping from: > The Edinburgh Advertiser July 10 1821. > > A link to the page is lower down, in case anyone wants to see the page > or read the article that I want to ask questions about. First I'll ask > the questions, then I'll comment on the article. Then I'll type in > 'some' names on the page for others it might assist. > The article is the entire second column on the page. (best viewed at a > zoom of 300 I believe) > > It is describing a court case that took place on July 9 1821, regarding > a shooting on Robert Mitchell and Elisabeth (Wier/Weir his wife)'s > property in Gilmerton, on the date of 18 January 1821. No one was killed > but John Anderson was badly injured. > >