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/121 Robert Grierson

name of accused
Robert Grierson (alias Rob the Rowar)
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/110
Case date start
26/12/1590
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

  • Implicated by another (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.
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

Notes
The meeting was like a party at see with good wine and ale. Part of the planning of the conspiracy to sink James VI ships on the way back from Denmark. See Agnes Sampson's case for description of North Berwick meeting (c/egd/63). See also Napier (c/egd/103) for more detials about the North Berwick meeting. In Makcalyean's trial he was described as the captain of the ship they destroyed at sea.

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

Notes
None

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • no information

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
Part of the witches' crew that tried to kill Ann of Denmark.

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 209-213 same text as JC2/2 JC26/2
Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fos. 201r-207r None
Pitcairn v I, part II, page 246 None
Pitcairn v I, part II, page 254 None
Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fo. 221r - 226r None
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 19 mentioned