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/1749 Jonet Mathie

name of accused
Jonet Mathie
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1732
Case date start
12/1676
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)
  • maleficium (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Accused of having attempted to murder Maxwell of Pollock. Demonic pact included in accusation but no details of confession etc. She supposedly had malice against Maxwell because he punished her other son for 'breaking his yard'. The whole group seems to have had a problem with Maxwell, their landlord, could be that they were doing something in protest.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Devil described as a black man, with a bluish band, white hand cuffs, and hogers (leg coverings) with no shoes, and with cloven fee. His name was Ejuall. His voice was described as 'hough and goushe'.
  • Male Black man

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark
  • New name Landsladie

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
Notes
The purpose of the meeting was to kill a man. The meeting supposedly happened in 10/1676.

Meeting places

  • Her own House

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Accused of having cast an illness by roasting of wax or clay images. The wax image was found in a hole in the wall behind her fire. She was also found with a wax image of a woman while in prison. The authorities thought she had strangely escaped from the stocks while in prison.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Wax/clay images
  • Fire

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
Notes
Attempted to murder Maxwell of Pollok.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • Murder
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 3rd series, vol 5, pp xxxv-xxxvi, 95. None
Circuit Court Books JC10/4 fo. 1r-13v None