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/2975 Margaret Shearer

name of accused
Margaret Shearer
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/LA/2841
Case date start
19/1/1697
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)
  • demonic possesion (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic possessions (primary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
I think she was a supsected witch who just got caught up in the Paisley scare. The paisley scare was a complicated case involving numerous accusations of murdering children through magical strangulation and possession of several children. Much of the evidence was derived from the testimony of children who claimed to be possessed and tormented by witches. But there was great concern over the murdered children and a murdered minister. The record describes the physical torment of the possessed children in great detail. An extraordinary document!

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • Male black shawl and hood
  • Male black mane and coat, blue cravat
  • Female Antiochia, gentle wife of the Devil

Demonic pacts

  • Devil's Mark

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Dancing
Notes
See Agnes Naismith for a full description (c/egd/1773)

Meeting places

  • Kilpatrick
  • Kilmacolme Moor
  • Christian Shaw's Yard
  • murdered minister, Mr. John Hardie Yard
  • murdered boy House

musical instruments

  • Pipe

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
alleged with a group that used image magic on several occassions. A man brought her milk after having a fall out followed by threats from her and illnesses.

Counter strategies

  • Appeasement

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • 12:00

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Hair
  • Bone
  • Blood (animal)
  • Wax/clay images

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Cursing
Notes
None

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • Murder
Notes
None

Plea

Claimed bewitched
no
Claimed possessed
no
Admitted lesser charges
no
No defence
no
Claimed natural causes
no
Notes
None
Case Notes
Part of the Renfrewshire cases of 1697
references
name notes
Circuit Court Books JC10/4 fo. 1r-81r second pagination None