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/1527 Issobell NcNicol

name of accused
Issobell NcNicol
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1513
Case date start
21/1/1662
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)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (primary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
None

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • Male young man

Demonic pacts

  • Servant
  • Want nothing
  • Anti-baptism
  • New name Caterine

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
Met the devil in her own house when she was brewing aqua vita. Also met him with others.

Meeting places

  • own house House
  • Cregandow or Bute quay

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Unorthodox religious practice
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

  • All Saints Day

Diseases or illness

  • Human death
Notes
Witnessed claimed that NcNicol threatened harm after she had been insulted - a man had put a paper on her face. His children died after their faces had turned black.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Social slight

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
Highland Papers Vol III, p 12, 28-29. Also named in another person's confession.