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/108 Donald Robinson

name of accused
Donald Robinson
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/97
Case date start
8/5/1591
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

  • 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
None
  • Male

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
Asked if he was at North Berwick Kirk or at Acheson's haven, denied all of it. Preparation for North Berwick meeting. Agnes Sampson spoke to him about the destruction of the King. Said the whole thing was ordered by Bothwell. At the the Acheson's haven meeting they passed a wax image of James VI between them and chanted his name, they were promised gold, silver and victual from Bothwell (according to Sampson).

Meeting places

  • Aitchisoune's heavin btw Musselbrugh and pannes Shore
  • Presonpans

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
None

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

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

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

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
None
references
name notes
Pitcairn v I, part II, page 245-247 None
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 23 interrogation
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 19 interrogation
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, itme 18 None
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 16x interrogation
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 2 Item 1 is blank.