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/1773 Agnes Naismith

name of accused
Agnes Naismith
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1756
Case date start
19/1/1697
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 possesion (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic possessions (primary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Complicated case involving numerous accusations of murdering children through magical strangulation and possession of several children. Much of the evidence was derived from the testimony of children who claimed to be possessed and tormented by witches. But there was great concern over the murdered children and a murdered minister. The record describes the physical torment of the possessed children in great detail. An extraordinary document!

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • Male black shawl and black hood
  • Male black-haired mane, black coat, blue cravat
  • Female Antiochia, gentle wife of the Devil

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark left shoulder
  • Devil's Mark leg
  • Anti-baptism

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Dancing
Notes
There were seven witches' meetings alleged in the Renfrew trials of 1697. The meetings were said to have taken place in 1696 for the murder of a minister and several infants and children and the tormenting of Christian Shaw and other young people. The participants supposedly danced, did image magic, met with the devil, and plotted bad things. The meetings were described by a few people who confessed and several children who claimed to have been present.

Meeting places

  • Kilpatrik
  • Kilmacolme Moor
  • Christian Shaw Yard
  • murdered minister Yard
  • murdered child House

musical instruments

  • Pipe

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Accused of participating in 6 meetings where wax images with pins were used to enact murder and roasting the wax image was also used to kill and torment people. One meeting to strangle a child took place at midnight in the kid's bedroom. Apparently physical charmes made of bone, blood, and hair were found.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • 12:00

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Wax/clay images
  • Bone
  • Blood (animal)
  • Hair

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
Notes
The group was accused of murdering children by strangulation. children were in fact murdered in this way by someone. Possession systems were - thrassing,extraordinary strength,bite marks,welts, spitting pins and hair,vomit,and more.

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
Part of the Renfrewshire cases from 1697 - one of seven who made it to trial out of 28+ accused.
references
name notes
Circuit Court Books JC10/4 fo. 1r-81r second pagination See also R. Boulton 'Compleat History of Magick, Sorcery and Witchcraft' London, 1716, Vol 2 pp. 51-165. This reference was not checked by the project.
Privy Council PC1/51 p. 136-9 None