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/166 Alexander Hammiltoun

name of accused
Alexander Hammiltoun
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/155
Case date start
9/12/1628
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

  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (primary characteristic)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • refused charity (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
The whole case seems to be built around his confession of multiple meetings with the Devil and other witches. Some healing with specific rituals, and revenge harm for refusal of charity but it mostly revolves around the Devil. Need to know more about local context.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
The Devil said he should not desire meat, clothing or money. The Devil gave him a baton that he could use to raise the Devil - a magic wand? He had to pay the Devil in kind with a cat, a laif, a dog or some other animal. D gave him 4shillings, (Sterling). The Devil also appeared to him in England. First meeting with devil was in 1624 between 11-12 in the day.
  • Male man in grey clothes
  • Animal Devil Foal
  • Male Man
  • Male black man in black clothes, no cloak and a wand
  • Animal Devil Corbie (Raven)
  • Animal Devil cat
  • Animal Devil dog

Demonic pacts

  • Want nothing meat, clothing or money
  • Servant
  • Anti-baptism
  • Bond/Band 'Bund man'

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
  • Communal sex
Notes
a)Meeting at 12:00! B)btw 12-1am, renew pact and get money, became the D's 'bund man'. C) Heid of the broken calsay (roadway/pavement) of Niddry near the How of the Deane, on the way to Edmestoun (?). Devil had sex with Oswald and Gilmore, on the How of the Deane for 15min. At Coldingham Law he confessed to trying to destroy George Home of Manderston.

Meeting places

  • Den betwixt Nidrie and Edmestoun Valley
  • a) Hugstoun Hillis, 12:00 Hilltop
  • b) Gairnetoun Hillis Hilltop
  • bewest the castle of Dunce Hilltop
  • Saltoun woid Forest
  • Monkrig above the stob stane Hilltop
  • Linkis of Prestoun Links
  • Cauld Coit mure Moor
  • c) heid of the broken Calsey of Niddry Road
  • Coldingham Law Hilltop
  • Oswald's in Nyddrie Mylne House

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Using ulie (oil) spek cammomyle and heart creishc (creesh = fat, grease or tallow). Lots of information about healing techniques in his dittay (JC26/9). He supposedly tried to destroy Manderston by leaving a dead foul in his barn which killed lots of horses. Used cats and birds for healing. Instructed a woman to cure her husband by rubbing him with a wet cloth.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Meeting at 12:00

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Baton
  • Thread
  • Corn
  • Cloth
  • Water
  • Bird (dead)
  • Cat
  • Camomile

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • Michaelmas

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal death
  • Rec. healer
  • Healing humans
Notes
He said he got the power of charming from the Devil.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Refusal of alms

Other maleficia

  • Property damage

    • Damage to property

    • Crops

    weather modification

    • no information

    Notes
    None

    Other charges

    • Sorcery
    • Murder
    Notes
    None

    Plea

    Claimed bewitched
    no
    Claimed possessed
    no
    Admitted lesser charges
    no
    No defence
    no
    Claimed natural causes
    no
    Notes
    None
    Case Notes
    The King was petitioned as well, regarding this case and Sir George Home of Manderstone (see Register of Royal Letters, v1 p. 377, v2 p. 418, 553). It seems he was pressured to give evidence about most of the witchcraft suspects from East Lothian at that time!
    references
    name notes
    SJC V1, p. 132 SJC. V1. p. 143. Also found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 22/1/1630.
    RPC 2nd series, iii, 220, 290, 334, 361-2,378, 397-400,443, 515. Hamilton is mentioned as having implicated several women as witches and RPC charts the progress of the different stages of both Hamilton's investigation and trial and those related to the women he accused.
    Haddington Presbytery records CH2/185/4, 38r Hamilton mentioned in presbytery minutes noting his accusations of several women who are to be investigated for witchcraft.
    Royal Letters Vol 2, p 418. 'The Earl of Stirling's Register of Royal Letters, Relative to the Affairs of Scotland and Nova Scotia' Charles Rogers (Ed.), (Edinburgh, 1885). This reference was supplied by Aonghas MacCoinnich.
    RPC 2nd S v3, p. 222 None
    RPC 2nd S v3, p. 290 None
    RPC 2nd S v3, p. 334;515 Hammilton is mentioned as having denounced them.
    RPC 2nd S v3, p.361, 362, 378, 397-400, 443 pp. 361, 378, 397-400; 443 concern Lady Manderston.
    RPC 2nd S, v3 p. 397-400; 592 Detailed description of how his depositions were taken and by whom. He was clearly fed names of people to denounced and pressured by the people taking his statement to name specific other witches. Second reference is about Mowat who was horned and in trouble after being found guilty of lying about taking depositions from Hammilton.
    Books of Adjournal JC2/6 fos. 315v-319r Also mentioned in NAS JC2/6 fo. 303-310.
    RPC 2nd S, v2 p. 518 arrest
    Royal Letters v2, p. 418 The King wants to sort out whether Hammiltoun was lying or whether Sir George Home of Manderston was forcing him to lie.
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 14 None
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 11 witness statements
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 12 Assize ordered to appear at tolbooth of Edinburgh for trial on 22/1//1630, issued on 21/1/ 1630. Includes a list of the assize.
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 13 trial notes
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 1, 3rd Hammiltoun bundle A report for the Lord Advocate on the Hammiltoun case and the involvment of George Home of Manderston.
    Process Notes JC26/9 (John Hog and wife bundle) item 6 His elaborate testimony against John Hog and Margaret Nicolson, that he later retracted.
    Process Notes JC26/9 items 1 Witness statements about other accused witches.
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 2 Narration of the events and case against Hammilton.
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 His own statements, confessions and narrations.