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/162 Katharine Oswald

name of accused
Katharine Oswald
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/151
Case date start
14/7/1628
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)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Most of the accusations resulted after a dispute about business type things, selling cows milk, the use of kailyards, fostering a child (foster care not wet-nursing), corn, coal and salt. She was denounced by Elizabeth Stevin alias Toppok and Alexander Hammilton, but her neighbours were quick to provide evidence.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
The information about her demonic pact comes from testimony by Alexander Hammilton another suspected witch at the time of her trial. He is later convicted. Sex with D on a hill in a den (valley) for 15min. with K. Gilmore (from A. Hammiltoun).
  • Male black man in black clothes
  • Animal Devil Foil
  • Male Man
  • Male green clad man

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark Shoulder
  • Sex
  • Body and soul

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
Notes
Meeting at the suspect's house. Very small gatherings. Meetings at salt pans, again small gatherings but they raised a big storm at the 'Borrowing days' 29-31/3/1625. The road was near a hole in a valley near Edmetstoun (Edmonston?).

Meeting places

  • Heid of the broken Clasay of Nydrie Road
  • near Niddrie Den
  • pan brae of salt pans Salt pans
  • suspect's in Nyddrie Myln House
  • Salt Coitmure Salt pans

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Unorthodox religious practice
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Ritual involved plucking a nettle by the root, urinating on it and walking around it three times to cure a disease. Her servant saw her light a fire between two doors and walk a new born calf over it. A neighbour found her in a trance-like state laying on her floor by the fire, they heard a great din and mumbling.

Counter strategies

  • Appeasement

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Green

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Fire
  • Nettle
  • Urine

Religious motif

  • Three

Calendar customs

  • Lammas
  • Borrowing days

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Animal death
  • Laying on
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
  • Healing humans
Notes
These things happened after quarrels.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Failed business interaction
  • Verbal Insult
  • Revenge

Other maleficia

  • Property damage
  • Weather modification

    • Damage to property

    • Crops
    • Malt
    • Animals
    • Buildings

    weather modification

    • Storm
    Notes
    Lots of damage to crops - kale, flax, hemp, corn.

    Other charges

    • Sorcery
    Notes
    None

    Plea

    Claimed bewitched
    no
    Claimed possessed
    no
    Admitted lesser charges
    no
    No defence
    no
    Claimed natural causes
    no
    Notes
    Claimed that the only thing in her dittay that was an offence of any kind was the ritual with the nettle and the urine which the defence argued was a superstitious rite not witchcraft. Lots of detailed legal pleadings, very rich on this.
    Case Notes
    Very complicated legal wrangling. She was arrested in Nidrie, but because there was no tolbooth she was held in Edinburgh for 8 weeks with no movement in her case. Husband complained, trial set for 22/9/1629, appointed sheriff and bailies of Edinbugh as judges - they needed help so PC appointed 4 assessors. The trial didn't happen untill 11/11/1629.
    references
    name notes
    SJC vol. I, pp. 130-140 JC2/6 p. 303r-309r; 309r-310r. Also found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 14/11/1629.
    SJC v1, p. 146 Mentioned in A. Hammiltoun's trial.
    RPC 2nd S v3 p. 206 None
    RPC 2nd S v3 p. 278 ordered to hold the trial.
    RPC 2nd S v3, p. 290 None
    RPC 2nd S v3, p. 293 None
    Books of Adjournal JC2/6 fos. 303r-309r; 309r-310r None
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 1, 5, 6 'Katherine Oswald bundle' calling of assize and witnesses.
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 7 'Katherine Oswald bundle' None
    Process Notes JC26/9 items 2, 3, 4 'Katherine Oswald bundle' witness statements 14, 19, 21 July 1628; 4 July 1629; 13 Sept. 1629
    Edinburgh Town Treasurer's Accounts ECA, Town Treasurer's Accounts, vol. 5 (1623-36), pp. 713-4 mention of the miller's wife in Niddrie being burnt.