In the early months of 1633, a case of unusual complexity emerged within the Scottish judicial system, involving Thomas Carlipis, a man of notable standing in the burgh of Dunbarton. Despite his role as a servant, Thomas held a position of significant trust as an aide to Laird John Colquhoun, and his social status was further cemented by his standing as a burgess and a guild brother. The legal proceedings initiated against him—docketed as case C/EGD/172—marked him as a central figure in a high-level inquiry that linked the servant to the activities of his employer, who was likewise caught in the dragnet of accusations surrounding witchcraft during this period.
The resolution of the matter was as swift as it was severe. On November 1, 1633, the authorities in Edinburgh prepared for the trial of Thomas and his associate; however, neither appeared to answer the charges leveled against them. In response to this absence, the court invoked the process of horning, declaring Thomas a rebel and an outlaw. Consequently, his assets were subject to escheat—forfeited to the Crown—effectively severing his ties to his property and his former life in the burgh. This outcome transformed the former guild brother and trusted servant into a fugitive, marking the end of his documented presence in the historical record.