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/789 Jean Thomson

name of accused
Jean Thomson
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/778
Case date start
4/5/1658
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

  • unorthodox religious practise (secondary characteristic)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
The circuit court record is just witness commentary on their deposition. No clear indication of what the dittay said or what she was charged with. Witness depositions mentioned some healingn activities, but this was more in the range of people asking her to remove illness that they believed she had caused (i.e. asking for removal of bewitchment). She does not appear to have been a charmer. The main problem seems to have been quarrelling, cursing and illness - i.e. neighbourhood dispute.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
A description of a dog and hare of the accused going out to some cow. The handwriting is difficult, hard to tell exactly what was happening, but could be a case of familiars. The witness depositions allege a hare that was in her house and followed people after quarrels.
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Familiars
  • Unorthodox religious practice
Notes
After she gave birth she caused the midwife to use supersticious rites, used salt for the baptism, instructed eveyone to walk home speechless from the baptism, and burn hindberry leaves around the child.

Counter strategies

  • Protective magic

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Salt
  • Herb

Religious motif

  • Prayer

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Animal death
  • Transferring disease
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
Notes
She also prayed for healing, but it seemed to fail quite a lot. She was denied peats after a healing attempt failed. Her dittay is all about quarrels and threats, specifically about her lambs stealing grain and milk, and cow trouble. Malicious prayers

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
None
references
name notes
Circuit Court Books JC10/1 fo. 260v-261v, 262r, 269r None
None None McDowall, W 'History of the burgh of Dumfries' (Edinburgh, 1867), p. 376. The project did not check Larner's reference to this printed secondary source as part of the research.
Circuit Court Papers JC10/15/2 None
Process Notes JC26/26 Dumfries dittays 1659 (Biggest dittay roll) None
Process Notes JC26/26 loose papers witness summonds