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/3277 Anna Tait

name of accused
Anna Tait (alias Hononni)
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/LA/3115
Case date start
30/12/1634
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)
  • other (secondary characteristic)
  • other (primary characteristic)
  • other text Attempted Suicide/Murder
Characterisation Notes
This is an unusual case. She confessed to turning to the Devil to help her kill her first husband, which she did with a drink. She also procured an abortion for her daughter who died from it. She had been having an extramarital affair with her second husband while still married to the first. She tried to kill herself at least three times, by hanging with her curch, cutting her throat while in prison, banging her head on the stocks.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
The devil nipped her check, which people could see on her face.
  • Male black man
  • Inanimate Object Devil wind

Demonic pacts

  • Sex
  • Devil's Mark
  • Anti-baptism
  • Servant
  • Body and soul

witches meetings

Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

Notes
She murdered her husband with a drink made of foxtree leaves and tried to give her daughter an abortion (a drink of wine and salt) that backfired when her daughter died. Her grief and guilt seem to lay behind her confession. She confessed that the Devil told her how to make both drinks.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Herb

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human death
Notes
she murdered her husband and tried to give her daughter an abortion that backfired in her death.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • Soothsaying
  • Sorcery
  • Enchantment
Notes
None

Plea

Claimed bewitched
no
Claimed possessed
no
Admitted lesser charges
no
No defence
no
Claimed natural causes
no
Notes
None
Case Notes
She tried to kill herself three times. The appendix of 'Witchcraft Cases from the Register of Commissions of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1630-42', edited by L. Yeoman has the dates for her commission and trial for 1634. There is a discrepancy with the dates. The commission dated 30/12/1634 was clearly was issued before her trial, the date of which is listed as 6/1/1634. Therefore I have set the trial date at 6/1/1635.
references
name notes
Privy Council Register of Commissions MS Adv. 31.3.10, f. 102r and v None
Haddington Burgh Court Register B30/10/13, fos. 24r.-26v. Trial was granted under a Privy Council commission and was held in the tolbooth of Haddington. Not sure why it was recorded in the Burgh Court register.