Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, 1563 - 1736

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

Case Details

C/EGD/704 Margaret Comb

name of accused: Margaret Comb
designated title: no information
Accused Reference: A/EGD/693
Case date start: 29/11/1679
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
James Gibb	Investigator
James Hamilton	Investigator
Richard Hardie	Investigator
Archibald Reid	Investigator
Robert Brontein	Investigator
James Gardener	Investigator
John Thornbrow	Investigator
Alexander Crowlie	Investigator

linked trials
name	trial type	link	year	notes
Margaret Comb	Mixed Central/Local Court	T/LA/853	None

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes: She went to collect a debt from Elizabeth Scotland and was chased by a black thing. The Devil claimed to be a wealthy man who had lived in Linlithgow and promised to lend her 100 merks, which he failed to do. The Devil shook hands with her and her hand was sore.

Male a little thick man

Demonic pacts

Head and foot
New name can't remember her new name

witches meetings

Witches meeting
Devil present

Notes: None

Meeting places

no information

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

no information

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: The project did not check Larner's reference to this case in a printed secondary source as part of the research. The unchecked secondary source indicates a date of 10/5/1680 - possibly an execution?

references
name	notes
Books of Adjournal JC2/15 f. 159r	None
Process Notes JC26/50	None
None None	'The Book of the Old Edinburgh Club' (Edinburgh, 1839), Vol 6 p. 142. The project did not check Larner's reference to this printed secondary source as part of the research.