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/EGD/103 Barbara Napier

name of accused
Barbara Napier (alias Naip)
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/92
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

  • consulting (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • treason (secondary characteristic)
  • treason (primary characteristic)
  • not enough information (secondary characteristic)
  • white magic (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Part of the North Berwick witch hunt. It involved many people and many accustions about witches meetings, specifically two separate attempts to sink the royal ships. The first to sink Queen Anne on her way home, second to trouble King James after he went to get her in Denmark.
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Baptised a cat.
  • Male black man

Demonic pacts

  • New name Naip

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
  • Devilworship
  • Dancing
  • Singing
Notes
Prior to the North Berwick description there is a detailed account of who was supposed to do what in preparation for the meeting. They supposedly made potions with weird things, got bed linen from the King, sent people off to do things. A very organised plan. See Agnes Sampson (c/egd/63) for basic description of the North Berwick meeting. Napier's additions include - meeting at Halloween, there was a goat bird there. Napier and McCalyean were in charge of making wax images of the king but they were no't ready yet. They weren't supposed to use their real names at the meeting.

Meeting places

  • North Berwick Kirk
  • Aitchesounes-heavin between musselburgh and pannes Shore

musical instruments

  • Trump

Folk culture

  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Not the typical love magic, this was done to get Dame Jeane Lyoune Lady Angus to love her, by which I think they mean to show her favour? She paid Agnes Sampson a ring and a head scarf. She was also accused of consulting Rychard Grahame as to whether or not the king would come home from Denmark. She was acquitted of making wax images and of being at the North Berwick meeting. Extended description of potions made out of strange materials.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • Finding lost goods
  • Love magic

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Wax/clay images
  • Toad
  • Urine (stale)
  • Snake skin
  • Cat

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

Notes
She supposedly hired Agnes Sampson for a friend who was vommiting after child birth.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Revenge

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • Consulting
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
High Court Minute Books JC6/3 May 1591 This is pleadings where Napier is trying to get certain people off of her assize.
Pitcairn v I, part II, page 240-241 same text as JC2/2, Also listed in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 5/5/1591.
Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fos. 201r-207r None
Pitcairn v I, part ii, page 242-244 her trial, same text as JC2/2
Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fos. 213r-214v her trial
Pitcairn v I, part II, page 244-247 dittay contained in the trial for willful error against the assize for her trial. Same as JC2/2
Books of Adjournal JC2/2 fo. 218v - 221r None
Calendar of State Papers Relating to Scotland v. 10 p. 510 King James ordered doctors to examine her to determine whether or not she was pregnant.
Calendar of State Papers Relating to Scotland v. 10 p. 522-525 Report from Bowes to Burghley about the investigations into Napier and the processes against her assize for willful error. And the inquest of her assize in the tolbooth, from 7/6/1591.
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 24 In bad condition!
Process Notes JC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item 2 item 1 is blank
High Court Minute Books JC6/3 no pagination - 8 and 10 May 1591 (this entry is 6 folios long)