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/3135 Janet McNaught

name of accused
Janet McNaught
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/LA/2994
Case date start
19/5/1658
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)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
  • white magic (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
We have a dittay and comments from witnesses.
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
Supposedly seen at a witches' meeting by a man who then killed himself by going over the craigs and into the sea.

Meeting places

  • Chaple Stair Kirk

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

Notes
McNauth was the object of counter-magic. Her victim was to seek her health and get three stopings of straw from Janet's lintel and burn them. She was seen at the ale house with cats and carlings. Use of a magic charm for protection.

Counter strategies

  • Counter-magic
  • Appeasement

white magic

  • Protective

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Straw

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Animal death
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
  • Healing humans
Notes
After cursing a woman hired someone to do magic on McNaught. Janet was in charge of taking cows to pasture, she was angry over a late one and it stopped giving milk. A witch testified that a woman died refusing drink (either Janet or the woman?)

Cause of witch's malice

  • Revenge for being called a witch

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
Process Notes JC26/26 Dumfries dittays 1659 (Biggest dittay roll) None
Process Notes JC26/26 Dumfries Bundle None
Circuit Court Books JC10/1 fos. 262v.-263v., 264v., 269r. None