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/1935 Elizabeth Anderson

name of accused
Elizabeth Anderson
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1896
Case date start
18/3/1697
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)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • other (secondary characteristic)
  • other (primary characteristic)
  • other text turned state's evidence for prosecution
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!
additional persons
name involvement notes
Thomas Blackwell Investigator
Robert Taylor Investigator
John Maxwell Commissioner
Patrick Simpson Investigator
David Brown Investigator
John Stirling Investigator
Andrew Turner Investigator
Alexander Stewart Investigator
John Maxwell Commissioner
William Muir Commissioner
John Stewart Commissioner
John Alexander Commissioner
Robert Sempill Commissioner
Francis Montgomery Commissioner
John Shaw Commissioner
Alexander Stewart 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

  • no information

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Dancing
Notes
See Agnes Naismith (c/egd/1773) for full description. She made accusations against others saying she was there but not that she was a witch herself.

Meeting places

  • Kilpatrick
  • Kilmacolme Moor
  • christian shaw Yard
  • murdered minister, Mr. John Hardie Yard
  • murdered boy House

musical instruments

  • Pipe

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Allegedly part of, and a witness to, a group of witches who used image magic to kill people.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • 12:00

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

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

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
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
Part of the Renfrewshire cases of 1697
references
name notes
Paisley Presbytery records CH2/294/4. also in Gilmore thesis, 'Witchcraft and the Church in Scotland' Glasgow University, 1948, p. 303. Pagination not consistent so use dates.
Circuit Court Books JC10/4 fo. 1r-81r second pagination None
Privy Council PC1/51 p. 136-9 Larner also has her mentioned in 1699 in JC26/81 bundle 9 but I didn't find her there with the other Renfrewshire cases.