Isabel Wilson depones, that she went to Aberdeen in the year 1740, and lived there for seven years and a half, and that she heard it frequently reported in Aberdeen, that many young people of both sexes were decoyed by the artifices of merchants in Aberdeen, particularly John Burnet and John Elphingston, to engage to go over to America. That she once went into a malt-barn to see one Peter Ley, who had engaged to go to America, and might be about thirty years of age: that, upon that occasion, she saw the barn full of boys and men, to the number of fifty and upwards, as she believes, and that they had a piper amongst them [1]; and that particularly she saw two young boys, called Elsmies, whom she knew, and who were the sons of a widow woman there; the youngest of whom appeared to her to be about ten years of age, and the eldest about fourteen years.

Depones, that after she left Aberdeen and went back to her own country, she had heard James Williamson, tenant of Lord Aboyne, in the town of Hirnley, frequently complain that a son of his had been amissing, and he did not know what became of him.

Margaret Reid depones, that, about the year 1740 or 41, she heard that many young boys were decoyed by merchants in Aberdeen, particularly John Burnet, to go over to America; and that, about that time, one Peter Ley, and two brothers of the name of Elsraie, who lived in Aboyne,in the deponent's neighbourhood, were amissing, and were much regretted by their mother, and who were believed to have been carried over to America.

Depones, that, in the parish of Aboyne, they were generally afraid to send their boys on errands to Aberdeen, for fear they should be carried off.

Depones, that she did not know the age of the said two Elsmies, but from their appearance the one might be ten or twelve, and the other seven or eight years.

Depones, that James Williamson, tenant in Hirnley of Aboyne, had a son who was amissing, whose name was Peter and who the deponent knew very well at that time, and who in the year 1740, might be nine or ten years of age, in the deponent's opinion; that in that year he was sent into Aberdeen to be under his aunt's care, his mother being dead: That soon thereafter he was amissing, and the deponent had frequently heard his father regret him very much, who went into Aberdeen in search of him, but could not find him; and that it was the general opinion of the country, and the opinion of his father also, that he was carried over to America.

Peter had mentioned that he and the other captive boys had been kept occupied playing while aboard ship. If children were being sold by parents legally, then such measures as entertainment would be preferable to whips and chains when handling mixed groups of kidnapped and sold-off children.