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/401 Margaret Hutchison

name of accused
Margaret Hutchison
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/390
Case date start
28/7/1661
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)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Denounced under oath by Jannet Ker and Marjorie Fairwell. Confessed pact with devil

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
She sent three cats to someone's house to make noise and cause illness. The devil promised her money. Devil took her in his arms ?sexual implication.
  • Male

Demonic pacts

  • Body and soul
  • Anti-baptism
  • Servant

witches meetings

  • Devil present
Notes
None

Meeting places

  • Gallolaw Hilltop
  • Jock's Lodge
  • North Meadow burn Burn

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Familiars
  • Shape changing
Notes
A male victim suffering from pains like child birth and swelling went to a English doctor in Leith, who declared that he was bewitched. New charges in second restatement of trial. Her master Andro Lauder and his wife asked if she had fallen out with anyone. Disease was taken off and moved to a cat, there was a cold wind when the cat died.

Counter strategies

  • Appeasement
  • Community Healer

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Meeting at 12:00

Shape-changing

  • Apparition for 8 nights, then suffocated a child

Ritual objects

  • Flesh

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal death
  • Transferring disease
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
Notes
A piece of raw flesh was found under a male victims loom after he chased Hutchison off his land, which when cast in the fire caused a loud noise and the death of his cat. Aflicted a whole household after a competition between male head and her husband.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Revenge
  • Revenge for being called a witch
  • Failed business interaction

Other maleficia

  • Property damage

    • Damage to property

    • Whole Estate

    weather modification

    • no information

    Notes
    Caused a man to have pains like a women in child birth. Suffocated a new born child at midnight when she was in apparition form after appearing for 8 nights. Tried to kill a woman who wouldn't return her cauldron, but killed her dog by mistake.

    Other charges

    • Charming
    • Sorcery
    Notes
    Accused of harming people and goods by using charms, sorcery and witchcraft.

    Plea

    Claimed bewitched
    no
    Claimed possessed
    no
    Admitted lesser charges
    no
    No defence
    no
    Claimed natural causes
    no
    Notes
    No words or deeds. Defence argued relevancy of accusations: witchcraft or nature.
    Case Notes
    None
    references
    name notes
    Books of Adjournal JC2/11; JC2/10 fos. 21v-27r JC2/10 and JC2/11 have the same text. This one is her trial. Also found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 20/8/1661, 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 JC 26/27, bundle 1, items 1, 2, 5, 6, 7. Also bundle 'Gilmerton witches' item 3.Also 'Magaret Hutchison' bundle. Notes about dittay, accusations, verdict and retrial. Item 7 is copy of her confession. JCs to be re-catalogued at future date so check with NAS staff. Note about trial misfiled in 'Gilmerton witches' bundle. Petition from husband filed in 'Margaret Hutcheson' bundle.
    Books of Adjournal JC2/11, JC2/10 fo. 29v process stuff
    Books of Adjournal JC2/11, JC2/10 fo. 31r-33r restatement of her indictment and a verdict and sentence
    Books of Adjournal JC2/11; JC2/10 fo. 41r sentence read.