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/1368 Bessie Dawsoun

name of accused
Bessie Dawsoun
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1355
Case date start
29/5/1661
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)
  • demonic (primary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Named by Bessie Todrig

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • Male black clothes

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism
  • Body and soul
  • Head and foot
  • New name Katharine

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
None

Meeting places

  • black burn beside Calfward Burn
  • Begbiemure Moor
  • Overboltonmure Moor
  • Kirkland burn Burn

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
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
RPC 3rd series, vol 1, pp. 647-651. Record of confession.