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/1339 Mauld Gauld

name of accused
Mauld Gauld
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1327
Case date start
14/7/1649
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

  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
  • white magic (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
This one is a good example of neighbourhood dispute because it has witness depositions about quarrels, curses, harm from the neighbours' point of view. The witnesses against her are craftsmen, burgesses and their wives.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
The victim said he wanted to drink with the supect and then he did drink with suspect and he got better. Her servant said that she had a 'piece of clay formed be hir to the liknes of a mans priwie members doing quhat is abominable to think or speik of'. This was tried in front of the kirk session. She was witnessed spinning a sieve.

Counter strategies

  • Appeasement

white magic

  • Prophesy

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Clay
  • Sieve

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • Whitsunday
  • Candlemas

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Male impotence
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
Notes
A witness desired to drink with her because he feared her evil. She threatened her neighbours and they got sick. Scolding and flyting. She bragged about the malefices 'thair was never ane wrongit her bot sho gat her hart sythit on them'.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Revenge

Other maleficia

  • Property damage

    • Damage to property

    • Ale

    weather modification

    • no information

    Notes
    revenge for a family taking a house over her head.

    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
    has interrogatory, evidence of Church instigation of the whole thing.
    references
    name notes
    RPC 2nd S. V8 pp. 198-204 None