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/104 Ewfame Makcalzene

name of accused
Ewfame Makcalzene
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/93
Case date start
27/1/1591
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

  • consulting (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • property motive (secondary characteristic)
  • treason (secondary characteristic)
  • treason (primary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • white magic (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Part of the North Berwick witch hunt. It involved many people and many accustions about witches meetings, specifically two separate attempts to sink the royal ships. The first to sink Queen Anne on her way home, second to trouble King James after he went to get her in Denmark. In her own trial she was accused of trying to kill her husband and other family members (ie for her own political gain), and for consulting with lots of witches.
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Her servant saw a vision of a man in a white shirt with a tail.
  • Male black man
  • Spirit in voice

Demonic pacts

  • New name Cane

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
  • Devilworship
  • Dancing
  • Singing
Notes
She was accused of wanting to get her father-in-law. See c/egd/63 and c/egd/103 for a description of the North Berwick meeting. Her trial outlines at least four witches' meetings. She was accused of trying to destroy the King and Queen

Meeting places

  • Natoun Kirk
  • North Berwick Kirk
  • New-heavin also called fairy-hoillis Shore
  • Brum-hoillis Hilltop
  • Leith Shore

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
The bowl was described as a great bikar that was put around her head and neck to inaugurate her into the craft (perhaps the impetus for the cauldron myths?). Description of a bewitching using materials left in a window (magical use of boundaries). She was accused of using her servants to deliver materials to and from other witches, and those servants seemed to have betrayed her in court by testifying against her.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • Love magic
  • Finding lost goods

Elf/fairy elements

  • Fairy hill
  • Bored-Stone

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Cat
  • Wax/clay images
  • Bowl
  • Grave earth
  • Corpse powder
  • Stones
  • Blood (animal)

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • Michaelmas
  • Lammas
  • None

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Transferring disease
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
  • Poisoning
Notes
Her childbirth pains for two births were transferred, first to a dog and then to a cat.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

  • Property damage
  • Weather modification

    • Damage to property

    • Boats
    • Animals

    weather modification

    • Wind
    • Storm
    Notes
    None

    Other charges

    • Sorcery
    • Enchantment
    Notes
    None

    Plea

    Claimed bewitched
    no
    Claimed possessed
    no
    Admitted lesser charges
    no
    No defence
    no
    Claimed natural causes
    no
    Notes
    None
    Case Notes
    Brought into the North Berwick stuff.
    references
    name notes
    Pitcairn v I, part II, page 237 same text as JC2/2, Also listed in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 7/6/1591,
    APS Vol 3, p 608-9. Act restoring lands of Cliftonhall to her heirs, in 1592.
    Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fos. 201r-207r None
    Pitcairn v I, part II, page 246 None
    Pitcairn v I, part II, page 247-257 Her trial, same as JC2/2
    Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fo. 221r - 226v her trial
    Calendar of State Papers Relating to Scotland v. 10, p. 510, 522, 530 The first was a letter from James VI to Maitland about torturing her. The second a mention that her trial was to happen the next day in a letter from Bowes to Burghley. Third one, report about her trial from Bowes to Burghley
    Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 22, 21, 20 depositions and interrogations.
    Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 2 Item 1 is blank