The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

1563-1736

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

The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft logo

Case Details

C/EGD/294 Margaret Tailyeor

name of accused
Margaret Tailyeor
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/283
Case date start
11/5/1658
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)
  • demonic (primary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Denounced by Margaret Duchall and confessed to demonic pact.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Confessed the devil's name was Johne. At one meeting there was a gentlewoman whose name she did not know. The woman had a black pot and wore a green waistcoat with grey tails. In second confession described touching her head and foot
  • Male
  • Female wearing green waistcoat with grey tails
  • Animal Devil feltered beast
  • Male young man in gray clothes, blue bonnet

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism renounced baptism on her knees
  • Want nothing
  • Devil's Mark genitals
  • Sex nature was cold
  • New name Jonet
  • Head and foot

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
  • Communal sex
  • Food and drink
  • Dancing
Notes
She described many meetings with various combinations of other people. Also said that they spoke in another language. Had a meeting in a brewhouse

Meeting places

  • None Meadow
  • Bagraburn Burn
  • other people's houses House

musical instruments

  • Whistle

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Shape changing
  • Riding the dead
Notes
Claimed that Jonet Great, who was dead, came out with herself and others to a man's house, where they stole bread

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Midnight
  • Green

Shape-changing

  • Animal Margaret Duchill appeared as a cat
  • Animal she took shape of cat

Ritual objects

  • no information

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • Harvest

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal death
Notes
Claimed that the other woman had told her about malefice (death of animals and children) but did not confess to any herself the first time. Later she claimed that they had destroyed a child and animals.

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
K. Remy, B. Paton, and M. Tailior were extrajudicially tortured and burnt with hot stones by four local men. The JPs questioned them, and confronted them with the three witchcraft suspects. No further action was taken.
references
name notes
Process Notes JC26/26 JPs investigate extrajudicial torture
Stirling Presbytery records CH2/722/6, pp 89-99. None
Process Notes JC26/24 JPs order assize to appear at trial in edinbrugh 3/9/1658. Also found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 3/8/1658. This index did not distinguish between circuit and high court cases. This list of names was added in the margins with a modern hand, no indication of where the person got the list.
Process Notes JC26/26 bundle 3 'Stirling witches', item 21 mentioned
High Court Record Index No. 1 3/9/1658 None