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/786 Marione Lewers

name of accused
Marione Lewers
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/775
Case date start
5/4/1658
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)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Looks like a neighbourhood dispute. She also complained to the minister of slander and when he didn't take her seriously she cursed him and he got ill. But for some reason, and despite lots of witness depositions, she was found not guilty. Perhaps it is because those same witness did not offer compelling testimony during the trial?
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
She denied both of them, but they were mentioned in the trial record so I decided to list them here.
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark
  • Anti-baptism

witches meetings

Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

Notes
Marione stole coal from a woman's hearth fire. This seems to have been related to a bewitchment. 'A wife' told the women from whom Marion stole coal that this was not good and it resulted in a flyting incident between the two. At an earlier point I think it was unclear which flyter was the 'witch'. After the flyting the other woman woke up with a paddock [a toad] under her clothes and then her best cow died.

Counter strategies

  • Advice Sought
  • Counter-magic

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 illness
  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Animal death
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
  • Healing animals
Notes
lots of cursing and fallouts followed by malefice. She quarreled about corn. Other people's cattle eat her corn and she sent her animals to eat theirs. Flyting. Quarrels and curses over a borrowed horse.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
She stole coal from a someone's hearth fire.

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
Listed as a Dumfries delinquent to be cited to appear in the tolbooth for 2/4/1659. Was she going to be tried again?
references
name notes
Circuit Court Books JC10/1 fo. 220r-221r, 221r, 236v None
Process Notes JC26/24 None
Process Notes JC26/25 same basic accusation as in the JC26/24 materials.