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/798 Helen Tait

name of accused
Helen Tait
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/787
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)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Too little to even think about ticking secondary characteristics! Very little information and very bad handwritting. The court book is better, but still not enough detail.
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Described her cat going before the cow.
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
Supposedly against the minister's wife

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Familiars
  • Unorthodox religious practice
Notes
Mention of her cat always being around a sick child, when they killed the cat the child recovered. Someone found half burnt thorns at her heathstone. Tait asked for a bannock and then asked for more and was refused because the woman didn't want to give her more than one thing at a time so as to prevent the 'witch' from having power over her.

Counter strategies

  • Prayer

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Thorn Tree

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Stones

Religious motif

  • Prayer

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Removal bewitchment
  • Healing humans
Notes
She prayed to God for someone to recover and they did. This is not folk healing but removal of bewtichment. Threats and illness.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Social slight

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
A man refused to kiss her and he became ill.

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. 267r-267v, 268v, 269v 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.
Process Notes JC26/26 Dumfries bundle None