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/1605 Jeane Craig

name of accused
Jeane Craig
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1591
Case date start
17/3/1649
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

  • unorthodox religious practise (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
No details of accusations or confessions in the Presbytery accounts. We have a large dossier of documents in JC26/13 bundle B. Her case is one of the more detailed ones. She was denounced by her mother. Her threats and curses were accompanied by the gesture of blowing in the 'victims' face.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Was accused of killing babies and stealing them from her sister-in-law for the Devil. Her mother testified that she did this. She did a ritual after childbirth to get the infants for the Devil (see folk culture for description)
  • Animal Devil cat
  • Male

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark
  • Servant
  • Anti-baptism
  • Sex

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
Notes
Another witch was described as 'ane of your devilishe soldiers' who Craig sent out to do harm. The harmed man was troubled by wicked spirits that came riding out from under his bed. Craig had divers associates in the coal pit.

Meeting places

  • Her house House

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific ritual acts
  • Unorthodox religious practice
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
She caused people to see many 'sichts' [sights] like ugly beasts and whelps. She used a ritual to steal babies from her sister-in-law. She rubbed her with three little enchanted stones after birth and she rubbed the child and the child died. She did something with fox cure and south-running water. She tried to enchant a man by causing his fire to take on the appearance of ugly cats with her likenss in the face. And she cast lumps of raw flesh and blood around his floor. She caused a man to have visions of wiched spirits riding out from under his bed. It is unclear who scratched whom?

Counter strategies

  • Scratching

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • Animal cats in a fire

Ritual objects

  • Stones
  • Herb
  • Water
  • Flesh

Religious motif

  • Three

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Animal death
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
Notes
Caused someone to go mad and die; caused cows to give blood instead of milk. She caused her goodsister to loose her breast milk so Jeane could take her children. Caused a disease where blood flowed from a man's skin.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
She blew in people's faces when uttering curses.

Other charges

  • Sorcery
  • Charming
Notes
None

Plea

Claimed bewitched
no
Claimed possessed
no
Admitted lesser charges
no
No defence
no
Claimed natural causes
no
Notes
None
Case Notes
A strange prosecution. The high court of justiciary moved out to Tranent with the books of adjournal. There is a seamless narration from the previous case to Craig on the same folio. The prosecutor is not a normal one for witchcraft cases in the high court of justiciary. They were sent out by the Committee of Estates (JC26/13, bundle B).
references
name notes
Books of Adjournal JC2/8 pp. 740-742 Also found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 27/4/1649.
Haddington Presbytery records CH2/185/6, p. 26, 34. Note in presbytery records that she was apprehended under order of the Lord Chancellor and the presbytery to assist in bringing her 'to a confession'. Further note requesting brethren to attend her assize but no details of trial or verdict.
Process Notes JC26/13 Bundle B, items 1, 2x, 3, 6, 7b, 8, 9 witness statements. Not sure about document number 11?
Process Notes JC26/13 Bundle B, item 4, 5 commissions and requests for commissions.
Process Notes JC26/13 Bundle B, item 7a, 10, 12 Jury notes and lists.
Committee of Estates PA11/8 fo. 49r. None