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/316 Issobell Bennet

name of accused
Issobell Bennet
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/305
Case date start
16/3/1658
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

  • unorthodox religious practise (secondary characteristic)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • folk healing (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
It is simply a list of people and whether or not they ratified their witness statements. Impossible to tell what the dittay said. We have a document called the Manner of the Charmes of the Stirling Witches, lots of descriptions!
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

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
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Unorthodox religious practice
Notes
To cure blasted people, washed them with water from the hollow ground after an ebb in the sea with a quantity of meal and straw placed in four corners of the bed, and she used a horseshoe, a hook and a piece of raw flesh. She said father, son and holy ghost three times. To cure maw turned she walked people around an oak pole three times, said some words to God and St. Brisbane. For curing someone that is wronged by an other at variance with them, go them and crave your health back (basically curing the quarrel, words, misfortune illnesses). For keeping folks from harm, bury a quick modiewort in a box under the outside of a threshold.

Counter strategies

  • Protective magic
  • Appeasement

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Water
  • Meal
  • Straw
  • Horseshoe
  • Hook
  • Flesh

Religious motif

  • Three
  • Trinity
  • Saints
  • Prayer

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Removal bewitchment
  • Rec. healer
  • Healing humans
Notes
None

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • Sorcery
  • 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
Circuit Court Books JC10/1 fo. 240r, 241r None
Process Notes JC26/26 bundle 3 'stirling witches', item 17 arraignment list
Process Notes JC26/26 bundle 3 'stirling witches', item 11 charmes of the stirling witches
Process Notes JC26/26 bundle 3 'stirling witches', item 14, 22 witness list
Process Notes JC26/26 Stiriling Court Roll None