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/790 Margaret Clerk

name of accused
Margaret Clerk
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/779
Case date start
2/4/1659
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)
  • white magic (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
The record in the circuit court documents is just comments from witnesses about their depositions and the dittay. Not very clear. Witness depositions have both healing and dispute elements. I decided on dispute because there seems to be more description of malefice rather than curing.
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Unorthodox religious practice
Notes
She put a bannock in the wall to protect the cows. Cured with a prayer and I think a fish?

Counter strategies

  • Appeasement

white magic

  • Protective

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Bannock

Religious motif

  • Prayer

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
  • Healing humans
  • Healing animals
Notes
argument re: wages for a wright, curses, her beasts ate a man's seed stock so he kept her from the brewing water well (it filled with toads), injured the bailie after he poined her goods.

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
We think this is the same person as C/EGD/2334.
references
name notes
Circuit Court Books JC10/1 f. 261v-262r, 262v 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 Dumfried Bundle None