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/389 Thomas Black

name of accused
Thomas Black
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/378
Case date start
29/7/1661
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
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Devil appeared to him at night while he was in bed. He was described as lying upon him heavy in the shape of a man.
  • Male

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism
  • Head and foot
  • Servant
  • Want nothing
  • Sex

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
None

Meeting places

  • his own House
  • Lady Laytoun's Yard
  • drawing down of Robert Mitchell's Barn

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

  • Fastings eve

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

  • Sorcery
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
Books of Adjournal JC2/11; JC2/10 fos. 18v-20r JC2/10 and JC2/11 have the same text. Also found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 7/8/1661, 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.
High Court Process Notes JC26/27/5 item 9 Same as the information in the JC2s, only this draft dittay has people charged who did not appear in the final High Court Books of Adjournal.
High Court Process Notes JC26/27/5 item 12 This document is a draft dittay with notes indicating whether or not the accused witch went to the trial of an assize or not. He went to an assize trial. I think the Books of Adjournal edited out the accused witches who did not pass on to the assize. This is either a draft dittay or a first draft of the Books of Adjournal.
High Court Process Notes JC26/27/5 item 13 29/6/1661
High Court Process Notes JC26/27 Gilmerton Witches item 1 denounced.