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/1745 Bessie Weir

name of accused
Bessie Weir
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/1728
Case date start
18/1/1677
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)
  • maleficium (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Attempted murder was the main accusation but demonic pact included in commission. She supposedly had malice against Maxwell of Pollock because he didn't hire her husband to work at the harvest. The whole group seems to have had a problem with Maxwell, their landlord - could be that they were doing something in protest.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Devil described as a black man, with a bluish band, white hand cuffs, and hogers (leg coverings) with no shoes, and with cloven fee. His name was Ejuall. His voice was described as 'hough and goushe'. She was also accused of helping Mathie get her daughter (Annabell) to join the devil.
  • Male black man

Demonic pacts

  • New name Sophia
  • Devil's Mark

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
  • Malificium
Notes
There were two meetings described in confessions of this group to destroy Maxwell of Pollock. The first in 10/1676, the second on 4/1/1677. Both involved image magic.

Meeting places

  • Mathie's House
  • John Stewart's House

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Accused of attempted murder using wax/clay figures roasted in a fire. Wax images were found. She was the one in her group who spoke the ritual words and turned the wax image on a spit over a fire.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • 12:00

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Wax/clay images
  • Fire

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • no information

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
Notes
Accused of attempting to murder Maxwell of Pollok.

Cause of witch's malice

  • Revenge

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
None
references
name notes
RPC 3rd series, vol 5, xxxv-xxxvi, 95 None
Circuit Court Books JC10/4 fo. 1r-13v None