The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

1563-1736

By Julian Goodare, Lauren Martin, Joyce Miller and Louise Yeoman, January 2003


The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft logo

Trial Details

T/JO/1315 Issobell Oige

Name of the accused
Issobell Oige
Associated case
C/EGD/2162 (24/4/1597)
Trial process type
Local Court

Pre-trial actions

commissions
commission body type date seal notes
no recorded commission
previous commissions
commission body date
no recorded prior commission
appeals
central authority reason appeal date
no recorded appeals
complaints
type date of complaint lodged at appeal date complainent involvement
no recorded complaints
move to higher legal authority
moved to date of move
no recorded move to higher legal authority
denunciations
denuncation date dated
no recorded denunciations
imprisonments
incarceration date central trial imprison prison location moving
no recorded imprisonments
tortures
date of torture torture type
no recorded tortures
ordeals
date of ordeal ordeal type
no recorded ordeals
confessions
central trial confession date location notes
no recorded confessions

other information

Pre-trial notes
Minister made some investigations.
watched?
no
watch date
no information
arrested?
no
arrest date
no information
fled?
no
date absconded
no information
action dropped?
no
action dropped date
no information
action dropped by
no information
trial action body
no information
confronting suspects?
no

Trial phase

trial date
24/4/1597
trial place
Tolbooth

place of trial

settlement
no information
parish
no information
presbytery
Aberdeen
county
Aberdeen
burgh
Aberdeen

verdict

verdict
Guilty
defence
no
female accusers
0
male accusers
0
recorded as high status?
no
order for central judiciary trial
no
judiciary trial date
no information
circuit court (mixed central and local)
no
circuit name
no information
local court with central representatives
no
trial notes
Found guilty of using a beetle to change the weather and marking cloth with a green thread but the jury did not think these merited death sentence and referred it to the judge. The judge sentenced her to be strangled and burned.
persons associated with the trial
name title office occupation involvement witchpricker? notes
John Leslie of Balquhan None None Sheriff-depute no Involved in cases in 1597-8.
Thomas Leslie Mr Sheriff depute None None no Involved in 1597-8 cases in Aberdeen.
Alexander Rutherford None provost None Prosecutor no Involved in 1597 cases.
John Irving None None None Chancellor no Chancellor of Aberdeen trials in 1598.

Post-trial phase

sentence
Execution
executed?
yes
execution date
24/4/1597
execution place
Hills
execution method
Strangle & Burn
post trial notes
None
other named witches
name trial link accused link
Margerat Bane T/JO/1310 A/JO/2894

Mentioned as a witch

mentioned as a witch
type name mention date fate linked trialdate trial link notes
no mentions