The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

1563-1736

By Julian Goodare, Lauren Martin, Joyce Miller and Louise Yeoman, January 2003

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Case Details

C/EGD/1308 Margaret Watsoun

name of accused
Margaret Watsoun
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1296
Case date start
29/9/1644
Given case date
no information
Case commission
no information
case complaint
no information
case correspondence
no information
case chronicle
no information
other details
no information

characterisation

  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
None

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • Male black man

Demonic pacts

  • Sex he gripped her papy first
  • Anti-baptism
  • Body and soul

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Food and drink
  • Dancing
Notes
Night flying to the meetings: she supposedly rode on a botell of straw (a bundle of straw). She was supposedly also possessed by the Devil.

Meeting places

  • High kirk of Lanark Kirk
  • kirk of Carnwath Kirk

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Familiars
Notes
None

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Thorn Tree

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • no information

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Animal death
Notes
None

Cause of witch's malice

  • Envy
  • None

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • no information

Notes
None

Plea

Claimed bewitched
no
Claimed possessed
no
Admitted lesser charges
no
No defence
no
Claimed natural causes
no
Notes
None
Case Notes
None
references
name notes
RPC 2nd S, v8 pp. 146-154 None