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/LA/2902 Bessie Robsoun

name of accused
Bessie Robsoun
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/LA/2784
Case date start
no information
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

  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
None
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
Sampson said she was part of the planning in the conspiracy to sink Queen Anne's ships on the way from Denmark. It was claimed she was at the meeting at the saltpans. See Agnes Sampson's case for description of North Berwick meeting (c/egd/63).

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific ritual acts
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

Notes
None

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
Sampson said she was involved in trying to raise storms/winds to sink the royal ships.

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
Pitcairn v I, part II, page 230-241 same text as JC2/2
Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fos. 201r-207r None