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/1758 Janet McNair

name of accused
Janet McNair
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1741
Case date start
4/1677
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)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Appears to have confessed to demonic pact but accusation of murder of the 2 sons of Robert Douglas of Barloch was probably more important.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Accused confessed to having got the marks from a black man which were painful after being searched. No other details of pact.
  • Male grim black man

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark

witches meetings

Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

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

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human death
Notes
Accused of the murder of 2 boys by drowning them.

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, pp. 187, 193. Record of supplication from Robert Douglas to hold a trial at public expense or release the prisoners. Later entry note supplication from the magistrates in Stirling requesting to release them.
Process Notes JC26/34 half way through the box examined and released.