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/1813 Katherin Gibb

name of accused
Katherin Gibb (alias Kett)
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1789
Case date start
3/6/1649
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)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
None

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
She claimed she was rebaptised by the Devil with water, which he carried in something like a cockle shell. Her new name was not that different from her own name. Met the Devil 20 years before, and had initially refused his advances. Claimed he promised her things but that she got nothing.
  • Male grim man in black clothes

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism
  • Servant
  • Sex
  • New name Cathrin
  • Want nothing

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
Claimed that she and others met the devil 4 times a year.The Devil told them where and when to meet. Met him at 12 o'clock midday at the ploughing in spring time.

Meeting places

  • Corstorphine hill Hilltop
  • None Park

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
Notes
The devil met a group of people when they were ploughing and promised them a good crop that year.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Meeting at 12:00

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • no information

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Transferring disease
  • Removal bewitchment
Notes
Asked to take an illness off one woman, which she did and transferred it to another.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • no information

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
Corstorphine Kirk Session records CH2/124/1, p 31, 32-33. Scottish Notes and Queries, Vol 4 pp. 27-29. The project did not check this secondary reference.