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/1778 Katherine Campbell

name of accused
Katherine Campbell
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1761
Case date start
30/12/1696
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
This is a complicated case as the victim, Christian Shaw, claimed she had been tormented by a group of witches who had caused her to become possessed (presbytery records). 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!
additional persons
name involvement notes
Patrick Simpson Investigator
Andrew Turner Investigator
Thomas Blackwell Investigator
James Hutchison Investigator
James Brisbane Investigator
John Stirling Investigator
Matthew Brisbane Expert Witness
David Brown Investigator
Alexander Stewart Commissioner
John Maxwell Commissioner
William Muir Commissioner
John Stewart Commissioner
John Alexander Commissioner
Robert Sempill Commissioner
Francis Montgomery Commissioner
John Houston Commissioner
John Shaw Commissioner
John Kincaid Commissioner

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

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

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism
  • Devil's Mark between her shoulders

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

  • kilpatrick
  • Kilmacolme Moor
  • christian Shaw Yard
  • murdered minister, Mr. John Hardie 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. Roasting the wax image was also used to kill and torment people. One meeting to strangle a child took place at midnight in the child's bedroom. Apparently physical charms 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

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

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Cursing
Notes
Christian Shaw claimed that Campbell cursed her after she reprimanded Campbell. Part of group accused of magically strangling children and causing possession. Main accuser was Christian Shaw. See other accused witches for details.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Revenge

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 Renfrew cases of 1697. She was one of the first people accused as she was known to the main accuser - Christian Shaw. One of the seven people who were tried out of 28+ accused.
references
name notes
Paisley Presbytery records CH2/294/4. Pagination not consistent, use dates. 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.
Circuit Court Books JC10/4 fo. 1r-81r second pagination None
Privy Council PC1/51 p. 136-9 None