Item payed in James M'Colm's yt the Proveist drank with Ba. Dunbar and oyrs the day of Elspet M'Keoun's execution 000 06 00 Item to Wm. Kirk to buy meill wt. 000 07 06 Item to Wm. Kirk to buy meill wt. 000 07 06 Item payed to Barbara Roddin for candles to Elspet M'Keoun's guard 000 17 00 Item to Mart. M'Keand for ffour Ells and three quarters Red, to William Kirk, at twenty shill Scots per Ell, is 004 15 00 Item to Helin Martin for plaiding to be hose to him 000 08 00 Item to thrid whyt and collured 000 03 00 Item for ane Bonnet to him 000 09 00 Item for harne to be pockets, and for shoen 000 17 00 Item for three ells harne to be ane shirt, and for making yrof. 001 00 00 Item for ane long gravate to him 000 12 00 24th Aut., 1698. Item given to the Proveist to give him the day of execution 002 16 00 Item for peits to burn Elspet wt. 00j 04 00 Item for twa pecks of colls 000 16 00 Item for towes, small and great 000 04 00 Item for ane tarr barle to Andrew Aitken 00j 04 00 Item to Hugh Anderson for carrying of the peits and colls 000 06 00 Item to William Kirk qn she was burning, ane pint of aill 000 02 00 Item payed to Robert Creighton, conform to precept, viz., eight shill Scots for beating the drumm at Elspet M'Queen's funerall, and to James Carsson, his wife threeteen shillings drunken by Elspet's executioner, at seall times 00j 0j 00 It would thus appear that the executioner (William Kirk) had to be kept in jail in order that he should be forthcoming at the execution. He seems to have been an old, infirm man, without relations or friends, and on 8th July, 1699, he addressed the following petition to the Provost and Magistrates:-- "To the Right Honorable my Lord Provest, Baylies, and Cownsell of the Royal Burgh of Kirkcut.--Humbly sheweth, That yor Honors patchioner is in great straits in this dear time and lik to sterv for hwnger, and whan I go to the cowntrie and foks many of them has it not and others of them that hes it say they are overburdened with poor folk that they are not able to stand before them, and they will bid me go hom to the town to maintain me and cast stanes at me. May it therefore please your honors to look upon my indigent condition and help me for the Lord sake, and yor honors pettioner shall ever pray."