Statement of Ramsay Vickers after the 1847 poaching affray

At Edinburgh the twentieth day of October, eighteen hundred and forty seven, in presence of Andrew Jameson esquire sheriff substitute of Edinburghshire.

Ramsay Vickers, at present in custody, being brought for examination - declares -

I am 21 years of age and was born in the parish of Carrington. I am a coal miner - I am married, and I reside at Gowkshill in the parish of Cockpen.

I know the prisoners William Beverage and George Wise - the prisoners William Vickers, Alexander Vickers, George Vickers are my brothers.

William Beverage and I left Gowkshill about 5 o'clock afternoon of Monday last the 18th day of October current, to go to Aikendean Wood on Lord Rosebery's estate to shoot. He had a gun and I had one belonging to my brother. We went to try and get a pheasant to stuff.

About half past six o'clock, some men came upon us. They got hold of me and got the gun from me and I ran off from them and went home. Beveridge was detained. Neither my brothers nor Wise were with us and I did not see them in the wood.

We had a dog with us belonging to my brother George. Neither Beveridge nor I had fired a shot and we did not shoot anything. Beverage had a rabbit but I can not say whether the dog had killed it or not. I did not know any of the men who came on us. I did not present any gun at any of the men or fire any gun at them and I did not see Beverage or anyone do so. I did not strike any of them with a stick and I did not see Beveridge or anyone strike them. I heard no shots fired at all - and being shown two single barrelled guns which are labelled one and two as ------ , and being interrogated with regard to them - declares -

the gun labelled number one is the one that I had with me. The other is the one Beverage had. I went home by myself and did not see my brothers or Wise that myself all which is truth.

Signed Ramsay Vickers

And being further examined and being shown a dog in possession of William McKay, Sherriff Officer Edinburgh - declares -

it is the dog which was with us. I did not notice whether any of the men who came on us had guns or not and this is all truth.

The declaration written upon this and the three preceding pages was of the date it bears freely and voluntarily committed by the said Ramsay Vickers.

Ramsay Vickers while in his sound and sober senses and the same having being read over to him he adhered there of in presence of Morris Lothian Procurator Fiscal of Edinburghshire, John Crecar, clerk in the Sheriff Clerks Office Edinburgh, and William McKay, Sherriffs Officer Edinburgh.

Signed Morris Lothian, John Crecar and William McKay

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