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/797 Helen Moorheid

name of accused
Helen Moorheid
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/786
Case date start
4/4/1659
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

  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
  • property motive (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Seems to be all about cursing and scolding followed by disease, but impossible to say for certain because the record in the Circuit Court is just witness ratifications of their depositions in court. Have more detail in the JC26 documents, which do show a strong neighbourhood dispute theme. She was accused by her brother-in-law after her husband's death when she wanted liferent, it seems their was also a dispute about her inheritance.
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
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

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
Notes
This one seems to be all about cursing and scolding followed by disease. Her sister and brother-in-law died, childbirth problems. She killed her eldest in favour of her next son. Took a woman's milk. Killed with bitter imprecations. Flyting

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
There was a dispute over her terce, she wanted the liferent of her dead husband's land and the half mark of her brother in law. It was her brother who accused her of witchcraft! She was also accused of causing harm to a man who had gotten her sister pregnant and then married another.
references
name notes
Circuit Court Books JC10/1 fo. 265r-266r, 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