Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, 1563 - 1736

Goodare, Julian; Yeoman, Louise; Martin, Lauren; Miller, Joyce

Case Details

C/EGD/353 Helen Simbeard

name of accused: Helen Simbeard
designated title: no information
Accused Reference: A/EGD/342
Case date start: 29/3/1659
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)
Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
not enough information (secondary characteristic)
not enough information (primary characteristic)

Characterisation Notes: None

additional persons
name	involvement	notes
John Kincaid	Investigator
Robert Drummond	Investigator
George Wallace	Investigator
Robert Donaldson	Investigator
James Cowan	Investigator
James Scott	Investigator
John Hepburn	Investigator
Andrew Majoribank	Investigator
Robert Rodgers	Investigator

linked trials
name	trial type	link	year	notes
Helen Simbeard	Mentioned in trial	T/LA/1709	None
Helen Simbeard	Local Court	T/LA/1718	None

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes: None

no information

Demonic pacts

Devil's Mark right shoulder, left shoulder and her heave
Anti-baptism

witches meetings

Witches meeting

Notes: None

Meeting places

the Old Kirk Kirk

musical instruments

no information

Folk culture

Notes: Confessed to going to a witches' meeting on Lammas.

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

Lammas

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 JC26/26/5/1	mentioned
Process Notes JC26/26/5/1	Also found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 3/5/1659, this index did not distinguish between circuit and high court cases. This list of names was added in the margins with a modern hand, no indication of where the person got the list. I found no indication of where or whether this person was tried. Listed with others from JC26/26/5/1.