Prisoner name: James Robb, aged 22 years. Court and Date of Trial: Aberdeenshire...

Prisoner name: James Robb, aged 22 years.

Court and Date of Trial: Aberdeenshire Circuit Court of Justiciary, Aberdeen, 19 September 1849.

Crime: Murder, and rape or assault with intent to ravish Mary Smith.

Initial sentence: Death. Held in Aberdeen City Gaol, day of execution set for 16 October 1849.

Outcome: 'Nil'.

Petitions and letters: Annotated cover sheet; printed indictment; extensive notes of evidence of the trial; copy declarations of the prisoner with accompanying medical reports on the victim's post-mortem and the examination of the prisoner; memorandum and verdict of the jury from James Aitkin (Clerk to the Court); judge's report on the case; petition from Lord H C Cockburn (one of the trial judges); petition from approximately 506 inhabitants of Aberdeen; petitional letter from Thompson (Provost of Aberdeen) transmitting the inhabitants' petition to the Home Office; letter from Thompson (above) acknowledging receipt of the Home Office's rejection of petition; petition from 36 inhabitants of the Parish of Turriff, Aberdeenshire (known to the prisoner); grounds for clemency cited that he did not intend to kill the victim, it transpires that she had an existing heart condition, his previous good character.