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/1871 William Barton

name of accused
William Barton
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1839
Case date start
26/6/1644
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

  • other (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (primary characteristic)
  • other text Theft
Characterisation Notes
None
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded
linked trials
name trial type link year notes
no recorded linked trials

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

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

Notes
None

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
No trial created for this man as it is unclear if he was ever investigated for witchcraft.
references
name notes
None None Sinclair, G 'Satan's Invisible World Discovered' (Edinburgh, 1685), p 160-4. The project did not check Larner's reference to this printed secondary source as part of the research.
Linlithgow presbytery records CH2/242/3, p 152 Short entry mentioning William Barton, warlock. Entry suggests that he gave money to a woman and the woman's husband argued with Barton in the kirkyard but the precise nature of the complaint is unclear. Later he is recorded as a thief