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/107 Jonet Straton

name of accused
Jonet Straton
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/96
Case date start
1/5/1591
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

  • unorthodox religious practise (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • treason (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (primary 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.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Denounced Bothwell. She said the devil would kill the king for Lord Bothwell's sake.
  • Male black man
  • Male black priest with black clothes

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
See Sampson c/egd/63 and Napier c/egd/103 for details of the meeting. Said that Agnes Sampson approached them with a job to wreck a man in 1589, but they didn't know who it was. Named 9 people and said that 60 were involved. She also said that the Earl of Angus' wife called Lyon sent Barbara Napier to Agnes Sampson. She later denied seeing Makcalyean at witches' meetings.

Meeting places

  • Aitchesounes heavin, btw musselburgh and pannes Shore
  • North Berwick Kirk
  • Fyrnt Hoillis of Prestonpans

musical instruments

  • Trump

Folk culture

  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Unorthodox religious practice
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Detailed description of preparation for the North Berwick meetings that she was supposedly at according to Napier's dittay. Used a sark. She was present when Agnes Sampson melted a toad over a fire and did something with the drippings as part of the attempt to wreck a man (they later found out it was the King). The toad was then sent to Edinburgh to the women who would use it there. Then Sampson called her master three times. They then had the wax image, said words and walked widdershins with it.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Wax/clay images
  • Toad
  • Snake skin
  • Urine (stale)

Religious motif

  • Three

Calendar customs

  • Lammas

Diseases or illness

Notes
None

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 was personally interrogated by King James VI.
references
name notes
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 19 None
Pitcairn v I, part II, page 245-247 JC26/2
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle item 18 None
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 15, 14 Depositions
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 8 Interrogation
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 2 item 1 is blank