Trials and

ot suffer a w

s xxii

en of Scotland, a strenuous Act directed against the practice of witchcraft became law, and was most rigorously enforced. As this ha

ncy, nor give themselves furth to have ony sic craft or knowledge thereof; also that nae person seek o

to die a cruel and shameful death. It was a time of terror, an epoch of superstitious sacrifice, extending and gathering force as the reign of Mary merged into the Regency, only finding pause at the removal of James VI. of Scotland to London, there to preside over the united destinies of these islands. As is well known, this monarch evinced a more than

bering crudity of belief, that direct Satanic Power stalked abroad in the land in the form of witchcraft. Condemnatory Acts were passed in the years 1640-43-44-45 and 49. Again the stake and tar faggot blazed. The Levitical law was accepted as a too literal injunction, and from this time forward it is the clergy who particularly figure as the pur

sence of what has already been described as the "witch mark"[12] upon the person of the suspected. When this was found, or supposed to be found, it was the

tream they d

Cop

individual, John Kincaid by name, having such a reputation for skill in this unhallowed work th

inked for brodding o

currence in the notes of

ts teem with accounts of searching enquiry and trial. It must further be remembered that over and above the regularly constituted enquiries of State and Church a great number of Commissions were granted by t

k place in the distinctive localities of the Dumfries and Galloway district, but it may perhaps be here fittingly noted, not without a certain sense of gratification, that

ngs in G

; but the justices refused to put him upon his trial, because he was a minor when he acknowledged his guilt, and had retracted his extra-judicial confession; but

es in 1671 eight or more females were charged with witchcraft

e country-side of various acts of "witching." In particular, she was believed to have at her command a wooden pin that was movable and that could be withd

acing it in contact with the udder, and this it was reported she practised freely. Other cantrips laid to her door included capricious interf

ster's mare to bring her before the Session. On the journey there is a tradition that the mare in a panic

t to Kirkcudbright, where she la

y refers to the expense of her maintenance in prison: "Given for ali

so inhumanely treated that she frequently implored her tormentor

long with another woman, Mary Millar, also accused of witchcraft, "to meet and c

of Elspeth M'Cowen and Mary Millar, a

bright, Robert M'Clellend of Barmagachan, and Mr Alexander Fergussone of Isle, Advocate; And declare any three of the foresaids persones to be a sufficient quorum, the said Stewart Depute of Kirkcudbright being one of the three, To take tryall off, and to judge and do justice upon the saids Elspeth M'Cowen and Mary Millar, for the cryme of witchcraft. And in order thereto, To meitt and conveen at Kirkcudbright, the second ffryday of Apryle next to come, and there to accept for this present commission, and upon there acceptance to administrate the oath of fidelity to the person whom the Lord Justice Clerk or James Montgomery of Langshare, Clerk to the Justice Court, shall depute and substitute to be clerk to the present Commissione, With power to the saids Commissioners or their said quorum, to choyse their own Clerk for whom they shall be answerable, In caise that the saids Lords Justice Clerk and James Montgomery, shall refuse to nominate a Clerk in this matter, they being first requyred so to doe, With power lykewayes to the saids persones hereby commissionat or their said quorum, To create, make, and constitute Serjants, Dempsters, and other Members of the said court, And to Iss

by the Lord Advocate), who had been pronounced guilty upon her own confession and the evidence of witnesses "of a compact and correspondence with the devil, and of charm

M'Ewen suffered the extreme penalty of being burned at the stake, the execution tak

ution are taken from some old Kirkcudbright records, whi

sements as Thessr.[14] from Michaelmas,

pound and ane half of candle yt night th

n that took William Kirk, by

to him yt d

, Sunday and Monda

nest by Ba. Campble's orders in m

or six days at three s

r twenty days tyme yt he was in priso

to give William Kirk to buy drink, and by

nd Ba. Dunbar, the day of Elspet M'Keown

order, to William Kirk

ist drank with Ba. Dunbar and oyrs the da

rk to buy meil

rk to buy meil

din for candles to Elspet

three quarters Red, to William Kirk, at

for plaiding to be

whyt and col

Bonnet to h

be pockets, and

e to be ane shirt, and f

ong gravate to

to the Proveist to give him

to burn Elspe

pecks of co

s, small and

r barle to Andre

for carrying of the pe

n she was burning, ane

r beating the drumm at Elspet M'Queen's funerall, and to James Carsson, his wi

uld be forthcoming at the execution. He seems to have been an old, infirm man, without relations or

, 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

and prayer" there appears the follow

Jully

s the Thessr. to give the petitioner the next w

th M'Ewen's trial, is the sentence against one Janet Corbie,

ht, - day of

neybors guids such as unyuns and bowcaill and taking them to ye countrie and makin sale yr of, and sevll oyr thing yt upon just grownds could be mayd appere so yt to long she hath been suffered to resyde in this place; yrfor, and yt ye place may be troubled with such a miscrent, and scandlous person nae langer in tym coming, ye magistrates and consell out of a due sens of yr dutie and of ye justice of her sentens, ordains the said Janet Corbie to remain in prison while Munday morning neist att ten o'clock and then to be taken ffurth of the tolboth by ye officers and wt tuck of drum to be transported over the ferry bote, to be exported in all tyme coming from ye sosiety or convercacioune of all

ook of the Kirk-Sessio

instances qrof (whereof) are afterwards recorded. The Session therefor recommends to

. 6,

e said wheel, but was beat back to the door and her head was hurt, though she saw nobody. And yt. (that) after she was in the said Janet's House (being at school with her) the Devil appeared to her in the likeness of a man, and did bid her deliver herself over to him, from the crown of her head to the sole of her foot, which she refused to do, sayi

ntity in her apron, with which she seemed not to be satisfied, so upon the morrow thereafter, the said Robert Crichton's wife's breast swelled to a great height, which continued for about the space of five weeks, so that the young child who was then

accordingly he asked Janet, who answered she had none to sell to him. He replied, 'you have them to eat my goodmother's bear when it is sown; but (said he), my rough lad (meaning his do

rteens, but still assured the Lass that she would lose them. 'What,' (says the Lass) 'am I a child yet?' and for the mare security she took a purse out of her pocket in which there were no holes, and took out some turmour (turmerick) which she had in it, a

tch T

Cop

net came one day there, and desired a hare's bouk (carcase) which she refused,

12th

go out at the door, and John Bodden himself going to the door heard it also, at which he was greatly affrighted. Upon the morrow yr after, the said Janet went into John's house, and they told h

Janet was incarcerated, he did see about cock-crow a candle go

Find

10th,

e her legally it was denyed in regard they judged the delations not to be sufficient presumptions of guilt, so as to found a

Session Book o

April,

of Kirkcudbright upon a warrant from the civil magistrate, the minr. (minister) is desired to cause c

April,

sired) has caused cite some persons anent J

declares that by the report of the country Jean M'Mur

neighbour's house, and stayed there all night, and the said John going to her to-morrow, when she saw the said John she inquired how it came to pass that he took her daughter without her consent; and he desiring her back again to his house, but she by no entreatie wd (would) go to his house, and left the said John in a rage, and within ab

mpearing, declares that Jean M'Murrie has been under the n

an M'Murrie has been under the name of a witch since

May,

e, disowned the said Jean (not knowing that it was she), neither did any other about the Mark own the said Jean that night, and Jean going away without any alms that night, upon the morrow their milk

May,

this last ware Jean M'Murrie was selling about a peck of corn to the said John, and the said John would not give the said Jean what

May,

o the Chappel and sought a piece bread to a lass that she had with her, and Sarah M'Nacht said she had no bread ready. Jean M'Murrie said, she (viz. the lass that was with her) would it may be take some of these pottage (Sarah having some pottage among her hands) but, however, Sarah gave her none, and Jean M'Murrie going away mu

May,

ago Jean M'Murrie came to his house and sought his horse, and began to discourse to the sd Thomas and his wife about flesh. Thomas said they had no flesh. Sh

find

May,

of Banishment to transport herself out of the Stewartrie of Kirkcudbright within or at the end of t

bison, Thomas Robison, John Herries, Ninian M'Nae, Robert Bryce, James Milrae, William

tract from the Presbytery records of

her mother, and that the witch bade her take her mother, and lay her furth twenty-four hours; and said that her mother got her sickness between the mill and her ain house, and bade her tak her to the place where she took it, and wash her with (elder) leaves. She also confessed that the deceased Thomas M'Minn and his friends sent her at another t

d Jean Wallace a witch. Jean told the Session. Both women were summone

ng exhorted them to live in peace and be reconciled to each other, made them p

k place during the ministry of John Semple, a man who, if somewhat

reaching a token to a certain woman, Mr Semple (standing by) said 'Hold your hand, she hath gotten too many tokens already: she is

at Carsphairn abo

led 'turning the riddle,' as also it being reported yt. ye principal person is one Malley Redmond, an Irish woman, for present nurse in the house of Barcly to ye young lady Tonderghie, as also yt. Alex.

by two girls on the occasion of something having been stolen, "to fear ye guilty person yt. it might restore yt. was stolen." Malley was exhorted to be ingenuous, but she persisted in asserting her innocen

say them too, and that she accordingly said the same things back again to the nurse, and that the deponent had said to ye nurse Malley before ever she meddled with it that if she knew yr. was anything evil in doing of it she would not meddle with it, and ye nurse replied yr. was no evil in it, and further that to sift the meddling with it she offered to take ye child from ye lady's arms, but ye young lady put her to it, bidding her go do it. As also yt. further ye said Marion depones yt. ye same day, a little after, ye young lady bad he

r being ensnared into such sinful practices, she and Marion Murray subscribed a declaration to be read before the congregation, "abhorring and reno

d" before the congregation, was banished the parish. But the execution of the sentence w

Luce is that the chief witness against Maggie Osborne, who was burned as a witch at

t endorsing the general belief, set her at liberty. So disappointed and enraged were the community at her liberation that they caught her and inserted a host of new brass pins in her body, and afterwards dragged her down to the s

ed in 1697. He was assisted in his efforts by a woman brought from the town of Wigtown, who was credited with possessing an expert faculty of a

s box, with writing materials at his hand, the witch-finder being seated beside him. When witch or warlock passed, the woman tramped on the minister's toes and the name was at once recorded. A

as only removed by influence being brought to bear to des

h, a hare running out of the churchyard crossed his path, and from that time forward he was never again able to open his mouth in the pulpit of Kirkmaiden Church. He

d with witchcraft which aroused considerable excitement in t

f "pretending to exercise witchcraft, sorcery, enchantm

of Glasgow in his paper, "Bibliographical Notes on the Witchcraft Literature of Scotland" (Publications of the Edinburgh Bibliographical Society, vol. iii., 74 (1899), in which he says: "It will be noticed that Jean is indicted fo

ng is the i

passed in the Parliament of Scotland in the Ninth Parliament of Queen Mary, intituled 'Anentis Witchcraft; and for punishing such persons as pretend to exercise or use any kind of Witchcraft, Sorcery, Inchantment, or Conjuration.' It is enacted 'That if any person shall from and after the twenty-fourth day of June next, pretend to exercise or use any kind of Witchcraft, Sorcery, Inchantment, or Conjuration, or undertake to tell Fortunes or pretend from his or her skill or knowledge in ocult or crafty science, to discover where or in what manner any goods or chattels supposed to have been lost, may be found; every person so offending being therefore lawfully convicted on Indictment of Information, in that

stuck through with nine pins, which you injoined her to wear at her breast till the day of her death, and tell no mortal of it. That on the said twenty-eighth day of December last you, the said Jean Maxwell, told the said Jean Davidson that the Devil had rejected two sixpences of the money formerly sent him in the tail of the shift; that he insisted in lieu of the sixpences to have two shillings with heads on them; and that he was up and stirring, and must be satisfied; and the said Jean Davidson, having furnished the shillings, you, the said Jean Maxwell, after stamping on the ground twice or thrice with your foot, pretended to hand them to Satan as if he had stood behind you. That on the said twenty-ninth day of December last you, the said Jean Maxwell, declared to the said Jean Davidson that the Devil was still up, and that he must have a man's shirt of plain linen, and in it a shoulder of mutton; and the said Jean Davidson, terrified by your threats, gave you a check shirt of the said Francis Scott's, her master, together with a Shoulder of Mutton, also his property, tied up in the shirt; and you the said Jean Maxwell, tied up these articles in your own Budget; and then, telling the said Jean Davidson that all this was insufficient to lay the Devil, you asked her for half-a-crown more; and the said Jean Davidson in confusion and fright gave you a Dollar, which you said would do as well, and that at any rate it must not be taken back being once offered; and then you the said Jean Maxwell, went to the back of the byre at Little Cocklick aforesaid, and returned and told the said Jean Davidson that you had laid the Devil so that he could not come nearer her than the back of the byre, but cautioned her strongly not to travel that way nor farther after it was dark. That on the said first day of January last, you the said Jean Maxwell returned to Little Cocklick aforesaid, and told the said Jean Davidson, that Hugh Rafferton was to be with her on the Thursday ensuing, very lovingly and ready to marry her, or do whatever she should ask of him: and moreover, you the said Jean Maxwell declared that, if the said Jean Davidson used Hugh Rafferton harshly, and refused to marry him, Hugh Rafferton would lose his reason and go stark mad at the end of eight weeks; that in the meantime however you must have another Guinea Note for the Devil, with a faced shilling in it; and the money was furnished by the said Jean Davidson; when you the said Jean Maxwell clipped or pretended to cut the note, in small pieces with scissors, pretending that in this manner it was to be presented to the Devil alongst with the faced shilling. That soon after this, you the said Jean Maxwell, told the said Jean Davidson that the

ewartry of Kirkcudbright, and his Substitutes, in a Court to be holden by them or either of them within the Court-House of Kirkcudbright, upon the twenty-first day of June, in the present year one thousand eight hundred and five; you the said Jean Maxwell, Ought to be imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Kirkcudbright by the space of one whole year without Bail or Mainprize; and once in every quarter of the sai

oof, and the Steward-Depute remitted t

said Jean Maxwell, returned their Verdict to

d the Indictment raised at the instance of Robert Gordon, Writer in Kirkcudbright, Procurator-Fiscal of Court for His Majesty's interest, against Jean Maxwell, present Prisoner in the Tolbooth of Kirkcudbright, the Pannel, with the Inte

xr. Melville

l. Mure,

journed f

ight, 28th

nactments and Provisions of the Act of Parliament passed in the 5th year of the Reign of King George the Second, Chapter fifth, in the manner charged against her in the Indictment, at instance of the Procurator-Fiscal of Court; the Steward Depute, in respect of the said Verdict, Decerns and Adjudges the said Jean Maxwell to be carried back

ded that this sentence w

t of the trial, was published at Kirkcudbright the same

KABLE

MAX

H

ay Sor

place at Ki

y-eighth day

8

ending t

SORCERY, I

RATIO

stilled by M

such artific

rength of th

im on to his

cbe

CUDB

y Alexand

8

gs in Dum

and trial, which includes the ever-to-be-regretted consummation of fanaticism in this

of Dum

en, ￡3 12s (Scots). Mair, given to William Edgar for ane tar barrell, 12s; for ane herring barrell, 14s. Given to John Shotrick, for carrying the twa barrells to the pledge (house), 6s. Mair, given to

to give against such as were under suspicion of "the heinous and abominable sin of witchcraft," should be ready to furnish the same to the Session without delay; and at their next meeting the elders wi

burning of the nine women on the

owing particulars were gleaned from the books of the High

appear to have lasted until the 5th. One of the accused, Helen Tait, had a rather narrow escape-the jury finding by a plurality of voices that the "dittay" in her case was "not cleirly proven." Nevertheless, before being dismissed from the bar, she was required to find security to the extent of

tchcraft mentioned in the dittayes, to be tane upon Wednesday come eight days to the ordinar place of execution for the burghe of Drumfreis, and ther, betuing 2 and 4 hours of the afternoon, to be strangled at staikes till they be dead, and theref

Women on the Sands of Du

J. Copland,

dance of clergymen before the carrying out of the sentenc

April

Johnston, Mr Wm. Hay, and Mr Gabriel Semple, to attend the nine witches, and that they tak thair own convenient opportuni

onth of August last, for cheating the people upon pretence of knowledge of all things done by them in tym past, or that may fall out in tym cuming, with certification to be scurgit if ever she was sein within the burgh theire

the severall articles of witchcraft specified in the verdict given against them thereanent, were decerned and adjudged be us, The Lords Commissioners of Justiciary, to be tane upon Thursday next, the eighteen day of May instant, betwixt two and four houres in the afternoune, to (the) ordinare place of executione, for the toune of Dru

against her being that she was by habit and repute a witch, and had used threatening expressions towards persons at enmity with

e burned upon the cheek with a hot iron and banished for life. It is told how, when this brutal act

orious Edinburgh warlock-a sligh

ence is made to a supplication by Major Thomas Weir, asking "that the Parliament wald ordain John Acheson, Keeper of the Magazine, to re-deliver to the supplicant the band given by him to the said

for a long time been "suspected of the abominable and horrid crime of witchcraft," and were believed to have "committed many grievous malefices upon several persons their neighbours and others.

pon them to apprehend the women, and carried them to be imprisoned at Dumfries by the sheriff, which, however, the sheriff did not consent to till after the six men had granted a bond engaging to prosecute. Fortified with a

men to be transported to

his scandalous carriage in charming and turning the key at Bankend conform to the accusation, but says he knew not there was any evil in it. The Presbytery appoint him to stand on the pillar in

the utmost sympathy with his friend's loss, Fergusson declared he could soon find out who the thief was, and called out that two Bibles should be brought to him at once, to which the landlord stoutly demurred; but Fergusson threatened that unless he got his own way he "would make bloody work among them," and two Bibles were accordingly brought to the said John Fergusson, "who brought a key out of his pocket and put the one end of it within one Bible and the bowl end out, clasping the Bible upon it, and two holding the bowl of the key upon their fingers. T

Irongray Kirk-

ber 24t

Sinklar, submitted themselves to the will of the Session. Janet Sinklar also submitted to the will of the Session for saying

st 30

on for bringing his child to a smith to be charmed with ane forge

ber 13

ret Smyth, wife of John Jonston, being called before the Session, declared in her hearing that Janet Kirk, being brought in to Elizabeth Jonston, being grievously tormented with sickness like t

16th,

ings had any pith that they lighted on a kow and not on a person, and did say that Jean Kirkp

ister was sent as peacemaker. "Jean Stot obeyed the minister and forgave Jean Grier,

of a reputed witch by enclosing her in a tar-barrel, se

spinning with a pole, and by weaving stockings from a clue of yarn depending from her bead-strings. She lived alone, and was frequently seen on a summer's eve, sitting upon a jagged rock, which overhung the Routing burn, or gathering sticks, late in a November evening, among the rowan-tree roots, nigh the dells which signalise the sides of that romantic stream. She had al

refused to punish witches, he at last caused her to be brought before him, nigh to the spot. She was rudely forced fro

arrel and hurled into the Cluden. Almost against the Bishop's consent, this latter death was consummated. The wret

s washed their faces, still retains the name of the Witch's Well; and a pool in the Cluden, nigh to the well, often bears the name of the Witch's Pool. Even some rocks nigh to the Routing Bridge are still pointed out, where she was wont to sit; and a hollow into which,

lled before the Presbytery of Dumfrie

it, Frissel, who then lived, and yet lives, with her father, Thomas Frissell, a weaver to his trade, a man of unblamed conversation, in the sh

nan

J. Copland,

us Christian; and was for a good time before this befell her, more then ordinary exercised in

s able to give ane exact account of it, after all was over; and accordingly did give the r

bled with the appearance of a thing like a bee, and other times like

said, 'Is that Thy hand and Thy rod, O Lord?' And I was content to embrace the one, and flee the other. Then, upon that night eight nights, I was coming home near hand unto my dwelling, I grew very drowsie, and fell asleep, and ther

ain to be a double rod, or a rod that was springing and forthcoming,

in a bodily shape, three persons (as to my sight all in white), and they goe round about me the way the sun goeth; their coming was still after one manner, when I was at my duty, only I discern

s as to that. This intercourse with spirits continued for some years, and is very circu

he place where she was reading, which was the 34th chap. of Esaiah, from verse 5 to 11, inclusive, which begins-'For my sword shall be bathed in heaven; behold it shall come down on the people of Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment,' etc. And when she had returned immediately as shoon as she could take a drink of water, she sees her Bible is coloured with bloud, as she thought, though afterwards, upon inspection and tryall it was not bloud, but red as bloud, and such as no person by the colour could discern from bloud; upon which she asks the other lass, 'If any thing had been near her Bible?' And she answer

at place which she was reading, viz., from the 46th verse to the 54th, as I remember, so thick as it marred all the print and made it unintelligible, nor did she ever perceive it fall down upon the book, or observe it till it did cover and spread over all that p

ike bloud fell on the book, and covered all the chapter from the 9th verse to the end of the chapter, in the very act of the readi

s within two miles of the place where she dwells; saw the Bible, and t

be scrapped off by a knife as bloud will; but it is so li

etended to prophecying and seeing of visions, and that she had sinned greatly in being deluded by Satin, causing her prophecie and see things future. Her book was appointed to be examined by two of the Presbytery; and on her second appearan

enpont Presb

Mr Rae was slandered by a woman who alleged that he called her a "witch," and when sick said to her, "They say you have my health, so gi

h, and did in his illness endeavour to draw b

Kirkconnel. He was also clerk to the Presbytery of Penpont, before whom in earlier years he appeared. He is perhaps better known as the author of The Hist

Kirk-Sessi

h (not "M'Onrick," as given by Monteith,[16

gerson's hous, drew his knyf and offered to b

ho had sclandered her by calling her an witch, earnestly desiring ye Sessio

e records,

that no Heritor, tennent, or Householder whatsomever within this paroch reset

akeing intimation anent Jaunet Harestanes, rep

lexander Deuart (not "Douart"

tures, as makes him so commonly reputed a charmer that he is sought unto by persons from divers corners of the country to the great scandal of religion. The said Alex. being interrogated primo-Did yo

causer, but had no

e money for the br

t was not injurious to any, and told that

you bring

or I promised not to tel

s it is reported of you in ord

bs in part, but not for

of the herbs that you mi

nder my head and

s which had that eff

t to any living if the

me the cl

ar hand them to tell them who have them that they m

ok away these cloaths, seeing thieves ought

out any man, otherwise I should b

ng the things back, o

, but the people who took

tumbler be brought back an

flung it in at the windo

windows were fast-snecked, as the servants

air that was in and about it, for it is the hair of a horse whi

Y

in a room and I will cause all the cloaths that were taken away

Y

s again in as fast a room as you can, and I'll cause them, f

Y

ring back the silver

was scraped out, and I could not br

bring back the matt

ad been

k all the aprons, for there

burnt, and when a thing is hid beneath the

r some words when yo

Y

at ar

hs, cloaths, and o

seeds up and down the house, and herbs to every corner, going backwards from the fire t

Y

evolrie in it, or he was the thief himself. To which he replied, 'I shall

ring back a book

Y

use any woman in London come do

d do it,

e, Bailie Corbet in Dumfries, James Gordoun, Wryter, Y

d also added that he could cause any woman foll

where learne

rdener at Arnistoun, now de

ny alyve that was

N

was convinced that you were either a thief or a devol?' and you replied, 'Pursue me, sir, before either Session or Presbytery, and I shall show that I am neither.' And now, Saunders, after a

rom Jean Howatson in Nies that Margaret Nivison in Cric

from any such offensive carriage in time comeing, certifying withall that if they be fou

s affecting Durisd

craft and condemned to be burned on the Castle Hill of Edinburgh. Examination of the indictment shows that the charge was really implication in

extract from Pitcai

the Laird of Carschogill), Dilaitit of sindrie poyntis of witchcraft, contenit in Dittay

onne, Lady Angus, to keip hir from vomiting quhen sche was in breeding of barne. Item, for the consulting with the said Annie Sampsoune, for causing of the said Dame Jeane Lyonne, Lady Angus, to love hir, and to gif hir the geir awin hir agay

rbara Naipar, the sister-in-law

later days was the powers of witchcraft invoked by the most exa

ighest head in that kingdom. Both which fell out; for she died, being all swelled out in an extraordinary manner; and he, riding to the south, was pursued by the Lord Torthoral (called Douglas[1