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/2367 Beatrix Watsone

name of accused
Beatrix Watsone
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/2299
Case date start
13/5/1649
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

  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (primary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • white magic (secondary 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

Notes
Seems to have been accused of predicting either her own last days or those of her husband. When asked how she knew this, appears to have admitted that she had been told that she has been slandered as a witch.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • Prophesy

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • no information

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Laying on
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
Notes
Accusations seem to have resulted from arguments over business (debt owed to her and her husband). Seems to have cursed and flyted quite a bit and witnesses claimed she had the evil eye.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Debt
  • Jealousy of Neighbours
  • Failed business interaction

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, pp. 27-29. See also C Hallon, A W and J H Stevenson (editors) 'The Scottish Antiquary' or Northern Notes and Queries, Edinburgh, 1888-9, Vol 3 pp. 122-123. The project did not check this secondary reference as part of the research.