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/2911 Rychard Grahame

name of accused
Rychard Grahame
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/LA/2793
Case date start
27/1/1591
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)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • treason (secondary characteristic)
  • other (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • not enough information (primary characteristic)
  • other text witch for hire
Characterisation Notes
Calendar of State Papers records how he was 'pryncipall of the witches heere'. And that he confessed to avoid death. He was supposedly hired by Bothwell. Story about the Italian who prophesied about Bothwell's end. Bowes himself, writer of the letter in Calendar, was also implicated by Grahame and Gellies Duncane for being part of the plot.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

Notes
made much mischief on a ship.

Meeting places

  • None Ship

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Also the head of a young calf, newly calfed.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Wax/clay images
  • Toad

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • Lammas

Diseases or illness

Notes
None

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
None
references
name notes
Biggar Presbytery records v I, part II, page 235 same text as JC2/2
Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fos. 201r-207r None
Calendar of State Papers Relating to Scotland v. 10 p. 501-1 His testimony against Bothwell
Calendar of State Papers Relating to Scotland v. 10, p. 510 letter from King James to Maitland ordering Maitland to make sure Grahame gets his allowance.
Calendar of State Papers Relating to Scotland v. 10, p. 649 None
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 17 None