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/212 Bessie Graham

name of accused
Bessie Graham
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/201
Case date start
21/1/1650
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

  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • folk healing (primary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
She was part of a wife and husband team. She definitely took the lead in their healing business. She was paid quite a bit for healing.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Specific ritual acts
Notes
Her documents specify what she was paid for healing. Described her healing as 'melt the belt' for a sick child. This is likely to be mett or metting the belt - which involved measuring a child round the middle or from head to toe as a form of predicting the outcome of an illness.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Belt

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Laying on
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
  • Rec. healer
  • Healing humans
  • Healing animals
Notes
She seems to have specialised in healing children.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

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
She confessed to being a charmer but denied witchcraft. Her records describe some of the same witchcraft incidents as her husband T. Paton, but from a different perspective. Part of a group of 7 investigated by the presbytery of Dumfries on this date.
references
name notes
Process Notes JC26/13 Bundle A None