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/435 James Welch

name of accused
James Welch
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/424
Case date start
16/1/1662
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)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
He was a young boy who confessed to over 15 meetings with witches and the Devil and delated around 90 people. His confessions involved the Devil and were most likely produced as the result of pressure exerted by the interrogators.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Brought to the Devil by his mother and his good dame - grandmother Doesn’t way what their names were.
  • Fairy a bonnie lass
  • Male gentleman
  • Male green clothes

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark thigh
  • Sex with the bonnie lass
  • Servant
  • Want nothing
  • New name James Scot
  • Head and foot
  • Anti-baptism

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Food and drink
Notes
The first meeting at Haddington mill he just saw and it was after that he claimed he was brought to the Devil. Didn't say where the second meeting was, but he was brought by his mother and good dame. He confessed to drinking ale and wine at some meetings and eating meat.

Meeting places

  • Haddington Mill
  • Tranent Muir Brae Moor
  • West Port of Edinburgh
  • Gladsmuir Kirk Kirk
  • Saltoun Wood Wood
  • Wester Saltoun
  • Paiston Mill
  • Haddington
  • Haddington Kirkyard
  • Lethair burn Burn
  • None Barn
  • Gladsmuir Moor
  • East Barnes, Dunbar
  • Broxburn
  • Gullane Links

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
Notes
None

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Green

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

  • Property damage

    • Damage to property

    • Buildings

    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
    He denounced about 90 people from East Lothian sometime in 1661.
    references
    name notes
    Process Notes JC26/28, first bundle, item 1 None
    APS Vol 7, p 248. None
    Process Notes JC26/28 first bundle, item 3 None