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/2268 Issobell Malcolme

name of accused
Issobell Malcolme
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/2204
Case date start
12/3/1637
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

  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
None

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

  • Specific Verbal Formulae
Notes
Initial charges in 1637 relate to charming and she confessed to helping women who were infertile but no details of her practices. Seems to have been no further action by presbytery in 1637. In the later charge she appears to have diagnosed that another woman's mother-in-law (goodame) had 'gotten wrong' from another neighbour's house, ie the cause of the harm. This seems to have backfired on her.

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

  • Female infertility
  • Removal bewitchment
  • Midwifery
Notes
Appears to have offered advice about infertility.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • Charming
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
Strathbogie Presbytery records CH2/342/2, f 19v, 25r, 43v, 45v, 49r, 54r, 56r, 57r, 61r. Presbytery records have entries for 1637 and 1640 but she did not appear in 5/1640. Gap in minutes, then entry notes that she had been summmoned and searched for but not found. Later entries in 1644 record that she was summoned x3 but DNA, ordered to satisfy in sackcloth in own parish and eventually to be excommunicated. Last entry notes that she was dead.