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/318 Helline Cuming

name of accused
Helline Cuming
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/307
Case date start
14/3/1659
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)
Characterisation Notes
None
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Saw the Devil in her bed, implied sex.
  • Male

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
When describing a meeting (presumably in response to being asked to name names) she said, there were 40 women at the meeting but they were behind a mist and the place where the men were was also covered in mist. She said that Fermor came to her while sleeping and took her to a meeting.

Meeting places

  • Carfrae Burn Burn
  • Gallowhop

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

Notes
None

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

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
None
references
name notes
Process Notes JC26/26 in a bundle marked 'witchcraft' near the end of the box. Tried by the JPs and moved to Edinburgh for sentencing.