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/1746 Margret Jackson

name of accused
Margret Jackson
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1729
Case date start
7/1/1677
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)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Main accusation concerned the attempted murder of Maxwell of Pollock by witchcraft. The whole group seems to have had a problem with Maxwell, their landlord - could be that they were doing something in protest.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
She confessed that she joined the Devil at the last harvest. Devil described as a black man, with a bluish band, white hand cuffs, and hogers (leg coverings) with no shoes, and with cloven fee. His name was Ejuall. His voice was described as 'hough and goushe'. In addition to the devil she was visited in bed at night by a spirit that looked like her dead husband, but she later realized it was the devil.
  • Male black man
  • Spirit a man like her dead husband

Demonic pacts

  • New name Locas
  • Head and foot
  • Anti-baptism
  • Devil's Mark
  • Sex

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
Notes
There were two meetings described in confessions of this group to destroy Maxwell of Pollock. The first in 10/1676, the second on 4/1/1677. Both involved image magic.

Meeting places

  • own house House
  • Mathie's House
  • John Stewart's House

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Accused of attempted murder by roasting wax/clay figures in a fire and inserting pins in the image. Wax images were found.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • 12:00

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Pin
  • Wax/clay images
  • Fire

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human 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

  • 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
None
references
name notes
RPC 3rd series, vol 5, xxxv-xxxvi, 95. None
Maxwell of Pollok Papers T-PM 107/14/7. Maxwell of Pollok Papers held at Glasgow City Archives.
Circuit Court Books JC10/4 fo. 1r-13v None