An inquest was made over Richard son of Robert son of Elias in the castle of Dumfries in the presence of the bailies of the lord king, by the oaths of Adam Long, Adam Mille, Hugh Schereman, Roger Wytewell, Richard Haket, Walter Faccinger, Thomas Scut, Robert the mouner (miller), Thomas Bald, Robert Boece, William Scut, William the skinner, Henry the dyer, and others, who said that the aforesaid Richard and Adam the miller met at the church of St Michael (of Dumfries) on the Sunday after the Feast of St Michael, and Adam defamed Richard in the cemetery there, calling him a thief, namely, ‘Galuvet’, and said that he would make Richard leave town. Moreover, it so happened that on the following Tuesday, Richard was walking in the street, while Adam stood in the door of a house, and a woman said to him, ‘Withdraw yourself, here is Richard’. Adam said, ‘I will not, I have as sharp a knife as he.’ He then entered the house and drew a knife to eviscerate the said Richard, who in defending himself drew a sword, and struck Adam with the flat. Then Adam twisted his arm round the sword, and Richard, snatching it away, wounded him mortally. Then Richard said, ‘I did not kill you, you did it yourself.’ The sworn barons concur with the sworn burgesses that Richard is faithful, but Adam was a thief and a defamer.
Firm date
circa 20 January 1259 X 20 January 1286
Probable date
poss. early
Dating Notes
Circa 20 Jan., ca. 1259 × 1286; Monday after the feast of Saints Fabian and Sebastian (20 Jan.); prob. in majority of Alexander III