The Mount Stewart Murder of 1866, Scotland’s oldest official cold case with Chris Paton

In March 1866, a Perthshire farmer returned to his farmhouse from a weekly market to discover that his sister had been brutally murdered whilst he was away. An investigation over the following year eventually led to a suspect charged and tried, only for the case against him found to be non-proven in Scots Law. The case is Scotland’s longest official cold case by a modern police force, with the victim being Chris’s three times great grandmother. He will discuss the many resources available to help his research, and the surprise discovery of a second victim, over twenty years after the original event.

Chris will discuss how he researched this Scottish murder investigation in the Victorian era, navigating his way through the investigation as carried out under Scots law, with its various processes, terminologies and sources which may be unfamiliar to those living outwith Scotland.

 

About the speaker

Originally from Northern Ireland, but with both Scottish and Irish roots, Chris holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Genealogical Studies from the University of Strathclyde, and today works as a professional genealogist, running the Scotland’s Greatest Story research service (www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk). As well as carrying out research for various clients, I have also carried out research for television productions, including the Australian version of Who Do You Think You Are?, and for Irish Channel TG4. 

10 May 2023 at 7.30pm BST