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/796 Jennat Callen

name of accused
Jennat Callen
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/785
Case date start
19/5/1658
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

  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Seems to be all about curses followed by harm, but difficult to tell from the circuit court records, because the record is just witness ratifications of their depositions. The witness deposition is mostly people ratifying their testimony - not a lot of detail. Dittay has lots of details about quarrels, curses, and illness.
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

Notes
Poured cows milk into Jennat's yard to heal a cow. Janet Miller diagnosed her as the cause of someone's illness told her to get 3 stoppings of Straw from Jennat's roof and burn them. So she was the subject of counter-magic, that means that her neighbours thought she was using harmful magic on people.

Counter strategies

  • Counter-magic

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Straw

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
Notes
Also caused someone to fall into a trance. Curse after getting kicked out of her house. Cow's milk. Threats re: bleaching linen, cow in the corn (courch removal). Injured woman for marrying the man Jennat wanted.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

  • Property damage

    • Damage to property

    • Dairy

    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. 266r-266v, 267r, 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 JC10/15/1 None
    Process Notes JC26/26 Dumfries dittays 1659 (Biggest dittay roll) None
    Process Notes JC26/26 Dumfries bundle None