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/692 Helen Laying

name of accused
Helen Laying
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/681
Case date start
13/9/1678
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)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
None
additional persons
name involvement notes
Robert Hepburn Investigator
John Pringle None
William Baillie None
Adam Cockburn None
William Cuningham None
David Hepburn None
George Cockburn None
Robert Cockburn None
William Borthwick None
John Belshes None
John Sinclair Investigator
James Calderwood None
Robert Spottiswoode None
James Cockburn None
George Moodie None
James Grierson None
John Ker Investigator
David Chalmer Investigator
William Cockburn Investigator
James Liddell Investigator
George Halliday Investigator
James Cairntoun Investigator
John Adamson Investigator

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Denies having a new name, denies sex with the devil, denies that she did anything wrong. She was obviously questioned about these things!
  • Male Black Man in black clothes

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
Devil's meetings described by Margaret Dods, Helen confessed to meeting the devil in her yard and as ward burnes. She denied bringing anyone else to meetings.

Meeting places

  • Murrais Burne Burn
  • ward burn Burn
  • own yard Yard
  • black faugh Field

musical instruments

  • Pipe

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

  • Human death
Notes
Accused of killing the daughter of Katharine Halyday (c/edg/619). Accused of killing her husband, William Laying. She denies being guily of any malefice.

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
Denies being guilty of malefice
Case Notes
None
references
name notes
Books of Adjournal JC2/15 ff. 17v-19v None
RPC 3rd series, vol 6, pp 627-629. Record of warrant for execution and also the financial accounts of the legal process and execution.
Process Notes JC26/49 assize verdict
Process Notes JC26/49 'peaston witches' None