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/JO/2883 Barbria Parish

name of accused
Barbria Parish
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/JO/2762
Case date start
12/3/1647
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

  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Demonic as primary as it seems those involved may have read fairies as meaning the Devil or devils. The Devil was only mentioned once compared to several mentions of fairies.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
She confessed that she put her own hand on the crown of her head and the other upon the sole of her foot and declared all betwixt the two over to a black man with black clothes and that the devil appeared to her.
  • Female Fairy green clothes/kirtall
  • Male black man in black clothes
  • Male Fairy green clothes/grey hat

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark nip on right cheek below ear
  • Head and foot
  • Body and soul

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

Notes
Used term 'good neighbours' who wore green kirtalls. The fairies wanted a nurse for one of their own offspring. BP told them to go to a neighbour's house but the woman would not go with them and so her child was killed. This may indicate a changeling type motif but it is not mentioned specifically.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Green
  • Group of fairies
  • Good Neighbours

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • no information

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
Notes
One of the company whirled them all in the wind. Woman in green put sickness on one of her neighbours. She put whirl wind in the house of one of her neighbours and caused the woman to 'rattell till death'.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

  • Weather modification

    • Damage to property

    • no information

    weather modification

    • Whirlwind
    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
    Livingston Kirk Session records CH2/467/1, pp 76-83. Several entries record her confession but very little about trial. Last entry notes that she is to be buried or burnt. Likely it is to be buried as it mentions that there is not to be a kist. This reference was received from Chantal Hamill, Linlithgow.