This innovative comic is centred around a real and sensational criminal trial from the 1690s.

Its central characters are Daniel Nicholson and Marion Maxwell (also known as ‘Mrs Pringle’), who were tried in 1694 for the crime of ‘notorious adultery’ – a form of adultery defined in Scots Law as especially open or flagrant.

As their trial unfolded, a sordid and complicated saga emerged, quickly drawing in a third suspect, Dr John Nichol, who was indicted alongside them on suspicion of forgery. The records of their trial still survive, and can be found in the papers of the High Court.

The trial, and the crimes underpinning it, tells us a great deal about both how Scottish society was structured and the way Scottish criminal justice worked in the closing years of the 17th century. But replete as it is with deception, violence, and sexual deviance, it is also simply a ripping yarn. We hope you enjoy it!

A collaboration between the University of Dundee and History Scotland magazine, this is the first in a projected series of Scottish History comics. Scotland has a near-infinite repository of enthralling tales just waiting to be discovered, and our aim is to tell some of these lesser-known stories. In doing so, we hope to raise awareness about the fascinating complexity of Scotland’s History, but to do so in a way that is accessible, innovative, and entertaining.

Written by Allan Kennedy, Artwork and production by Gary Welsh, Edited by Chris Murray