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/JO/3248 Jonet Morisone

name of accused
Jonet Morisone
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/JO/3086
Case date start
15/1/1662
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)
  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (primary characteristic)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Although she reported a lot about malefice she did not claim that she was involved. Only confessed to demonic features and healing. Margret McLevine claimed that Morisone had been involved in the intended harm of the minister John Stewart and the provost John Glass - ?was their some local political thing going on.
additional persons
name involvement notes
John Stewart Investigator
John Glass Investigator
John Gray Investigator
Ninian Bannatyne Investigator
Ninian Ker Investigator
John Kelburn Investigator
John Kelburn Investigator
James Stewart Investigator
Robert Beith Investigator
Archibald Glass Investigator
William Campbell Investigator
Archibald Beith Investigator
Walter Stewart Investigator
Peter Gray Investigator
Alister MacTyre Investigator
James MacNiven Investigator
William Gillespie Investigator
Archibald Stewart Investigator
Colin Stewart Investigator
Neill MacNeill Investigator
Duncan MacAlister Investigator
James Stewart Adamson Investigator

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
She met a black rough man at night who promised to make her a 'Lady' with a grand castle. She refused at first then agreed to meet him after he grabbed her hand. She knew he was the devil. He told her he would free her from poverty and he would teach her how to bring home Adam Ker. Said she was to be taken to Knockane. At night she heard a voice which told her to go and buy ale (her husband slept through it). She claimed the voice said he was Adam Ker and he wanted in - she refused. A voice spoke to her one time and told her to drown herself.
  • Male black rough fierce man
  • Male with a white 'midell'
  • Male naked with black head
  • Ghost spirit of Adam Ker
  • Male called Klareanough

Demonic pacts

  • Want nothing property and wealth
  • Paction
  • Servant
  • Anti-baptism
  • New name Margarat

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
On one occasion she met a great number of people and one of them came to her in white or as a naked man with a black head. Claimed she saw the devil in the company of other people, whom she named. They gathered in a ring, the devil came and conveyed her to the Loaning.

Meeting places

  • Knockanrioch
  • Bute quay

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific ritual acts
  • Unorthodox religious practice
Notes
Used herbs to heal. Said the devil told her the fairies took John Glas's child's life, and that they intended to take Glas's life as well. Said that an illness was caused by the fairies - 'blasted by the fairies'. Asked what the difference was between shooting (elfshot) and blasting. Said there was no cure for shot and that blasting was a whirlwind that the fairies raised about their victim but that it could be healed with herbs or charms.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • Group of fairies

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Herb
  • Butter
  • Curch

Religious motif

  • Three

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Transferring disease
  • Healing humans
  • Healing animals
Notes
Used herbs to heal. Said the devil told her to kill animals and humans in order to restore health to another person or bring someone back from the dead. She said she refused. Asked to heal a cow - took off her curch and hit the cow 3 times with it.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
Claimed that other witches caused a lot of damage to property - lot of detail about what they did but she does not say that she was involved.

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
Highland Papers Vol III, p 20-28. None