There were several people who were willing to testify against Andrew. They all declared that he had stolen the little brown mare. This mare belonged to the Mcrae family from Bottacks of Auchterneed.

The Mcraes were a crofting family. The 1841 census shows that Margaret was much older than Andrew. He was nineteen at the time of the trial. Margaret was twenty-eight. I had assumed that Margaret Mcrae was a young girl, possibly even younger than Andrew. It seems she was a woman, unmarried and living with her family. She lived on the croft with her father, Kenneth Mcrae, who was seventy-years-old. Her mother, Mary Mcrae, was sixty-seven-years-old. Her sister, Ann Mcrae, was thirty-three-years-old.

The 1851 census tells of Ann moving away from Bottacks. At that time, she was living and working at Brahan, a large country house. She is listed as a house maid. She is living with Christopher Mcrae, aged fifty-four years. It’s possible he was a relation. There were two young Mcrae children in the household. Alexander, was aged 6 years and John, aged 4 years. Ann is not married to Christopher. Perhaps his wife had died. Ann may have agreed to move to Brahan to work and look after the young children. 

The country estate of Brahan is built on the site of Brahan Castle. It is famous for the Brahan Seer who made many predictions about the future. The Seer came to a sticky end when he was murdered.

It’s always interesting to find out a little more about the Mcrae family. They had such an effect on young Andrew’s life.

Mary Mcrae, mother, took to the stand. Here is what she had to say about Andrew and the little brown mare ,

My husband who has been confined to bed for the last three months has a brown mare with which, one of our daughters, Margaret Mcrae, looks after at the croft. I saw the mare in the stable late in the evening of Friday last. The stable door was then open and I fastened it. It has no lock but is secured by two links of a chain, one of which is attached to the door, and the other passes over a staple in the door post. There is no other fastening and anyone could open the door. On Saturday morning, my daughter Margaret, came in from the stable and said to me that she had forgotten to shut the stable door the previous night and that the mare was away. She went out to the stable and said that the door was wide open and a stone placed against it to keep it so, and the mare was gone. The rope by which she was fastened was left. 

I know Andrew Ballantyne, son of Walter Ballantyne, late shepherd at Bottacks. The last time I saw him was about two or three weeks ago. His father and family have often had loan of the mare. The last time they had her was a few days before Whitsunday last when they moved from Bottacks. She was returned the same day. I didn’t in any way authorise Andrew Ballantyne to take the mare on Friday last or any day of last week.

The mare was this day returned to us by an officer of the name of MacPherson. All which is truth, I cannot write.

Andrew Ballantyne could not have spoken to my husband any day of last week without coming to our dwelling and he could not have done so without my seeing him. Which is also truth.”

Mary Mcrae

It’s very interesting to read what Mary had to say. She quite openly explained that Andrew and his father, Walter, often borrowed the mare and had even borrowed it a few weeks previously when Walter had moved away from Bottacks. I wonder why the family became so aggrieved about Andrew borrowing the mare this time?