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/2373 Margaret Bell

name of accused
Margaret Bell (alias Magie)
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/2304
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)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
None

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • Male

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism
  • Servant
  • Sex

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
She confessed to meeting the devil and others at the quarrel hole or quarry. She said the others were all dead of the plague ?= ghosts.

Meeting places

  • town wall at West Post, Edinburgh Town wall
  • Quarrell hole (quarry) Quarry
  • place of Merchiston

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Riding the dead
Notes
Said she met people who had died of the plague.

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

  • Human illness
  • Laying on
  • Cursing
Notes
Asked to restore health. Witnesses from several other parishes gave depositions (St Cuthbert's, Duddingston).

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, pp. 30-31. See also C Hallon, A W and J H Stevenson 'The Scotttish Antiquary' or Northern Notes and Queries, Edinburgh, 1888-9, Vol 4 pp. 27-29. The project did not check this secondary reference as part of the research.