Anie Tailzeour

she/her · Orkney · 1624

Anie Tailzeour

Guilty Executed

In the summer of 1624, the judicial machinery of Orkney turned its focus toward 34-year-old Anie Tailzeour. On July 15th, Anie faced a formal trial under the jurisdiction of the Scottish courts, which had been tasked with adjudicating the serious charges leveled against her. The prosecution centered on a series of grievances concerning property damage, with Anie specifically accused of inflicting harm upon the livelihoods of her neighbors. The charges stipulated that she had caused significant loss involving local crops, the destruction of livestock, and the ruin of meal stores, actions which, within the legal framework of the time, were treated as evidence of maleficium—harmful witchcraft.

Following the proceedings on that same date, the court returned a verdict of guilty. Anie was subsequently sentenced to face the ultimate penalty under the prevailing statutes. On the orders of the court, she was taken to the execution site at Lonhead. There, consistent with the standard practice for such convictions in early modern Scotland, she was strangled and her body consumed by fire. This case remains a matter of historical record (C/EGD/964 and T/LA/1104), marking the finality of the legal process initiated against her in the Orkney islands.

This narrative was generated by AI based solely on the historical records in the database.

Timeline of Events
15/7/1624 — Case opened
Tailzeour,Anie
15/7/1624 — Trial
Verdict: Guilty
Sentence: Execution
Executed (Strangle & Burn) at Lonhead
Key Facts
SexFemale
Age34
CountyOrkney
VerdictGuilty
SentenceExecution
ExecutedYes
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