The history
of witchcraft and superstition in Scotland presents many strange
and unaccountable phenomena, although the whole subject, as was
recently said by an authority, deserves
to be examined carefully, without disbelief, without fear,
rejecting all impostures, and studying the residuum of truth
that is left behind.
Notwithstanding the strong religious feelings
which prevailed, witchcraft was rife all over the country during
the seventeenth and part of the eighteenth century. So strange
and foreign to most modern minds are those superstitions that,
had we. not definite and undeniable records of the occurrences,
we should never believe the things at all. The state of matters
is well put by Graham when
he says, "Superstition was spread amongst all classes; there was
not an event of their lives from birth to death which was free
from it; omens were seen in a myriad coincidences; charms were
used to ward off every form of evil. Some superstitions were
relics of paganism, others were relics of Popish days, while
many were due to those instinctive fears and associations with
mysterious events of Nature common to humanity everywhere."
These curious beliefs gave rise to a criminal
code of great severity. Sorcery and witchcraft, according to the
law of Scotland, were very serious crimes, and offenders were
rigorously dealt with. The Ecclesiastical Courts, too, kept a
watchful eye on suspected persons, and enforced disciplinary
measures without fail. When we recall the punishments and deaths
of so many-persons who, after all, were innocent of any actual
crime, we-are amazed at the results of this peculiar phase of
the mental state of all classes in the nation at that time.
The chief actor in all this hurly-burly, as is
revealed im the indictments of the cases which came to trial,
was his satanic majesty the devil. Let us take one example. The
countryside-down by Tranent, especially a place called Saltpans,
probably Prestonpans, was kept in terror for a time by the
strange doings of one Doctor Fian, alias John Cunningham, master
of the school at Saltpans, and his female associates.
According-to one record,3 a
company of at least two hundred females assembled there on "Allhallon-Even,"
and set out to sea, each one in a riddle or "cive." They went
in-the same, "very sustantially," as it is put, with flagons of
wine, "making merrie and drinking by the way to the Kirke of
North-Bar rick." After landing, they took hands and danced a
reel, singing as they danced. They afterwards formed a
procession, and
one of their number, accompanied by Fian, went before-them,
playing a reel on "a small trumpe called a Jewe's trump, until
they entered into the Kerk of North Barrick." The devil4 was
in waiting for them, and, as they had tarried on the way and
were late, he made them all do penance in a most revolting-and
abasing fashion. His satanic majesty then delivered his ungodly
exhortations from the pulpit, and, after receiving their oaths
for good and true service, they returned to sea, and so-home
again. What a length the imaginations of our-forefathers must
have gone to in this direction! The sea voyage as narrated, for
one thing, was utterly impossible in fact. Fian was convicted
before the King and Privy Council for this and other like
offences, and burned at Edinburgh in January, 1591. This is just
a feeble sample of what went on and what was believed. The King
sat often with the Privy Council during the trials for sorcery
and witchcraft, and he, in respect of the strangeness of these
matters, took great delight to be present at the examinations."
II.
That the district of Borrowstounness was not any
freer than its neighbours from these strange happenings the
Privy Council and other records show. Take the following as an
example: — It is to be found among the confessions of charming
(1617-21) by one Jonet Anderson, in Stirling.
"The said Jonet Andersone confesses that ane
tailyour in the Falkirk, callit Sandie Wear, came to hir with
ane sark of ane bairne of the Chalmerlane of Kinneil, and
desyrit the sark mycht be charmit. He affirmit that she soght
ane knyf to that effect. The said Jonet confesses that she
charmit the said sark, and that in the tyme thereof she had ane
knyf in hir hand, bot denyes she soght any: and confesses she
said to the tailyour, 'Ye neid not seik this charme; the bairne
will be ded or ye cam hame.' And, being demanded quhow she knew
the bairne wad be ded, answered that she wald not receave meat
quhen the same man cam fra hir."
On 27th January, 1648, the Council had before it
a supplication by the Presbytery of Linlithgow, signed by Mr.
Pa. Shiells, moderator, and Mr. Ro. Row, clerk. The supplication
narrates that the Council had on a former occasion, also on the
application of the Presbytery, granted a commission to several
gentlemen for the trial of six witches in the Parish of Carriden,
and that these (the witches apparently) had been duly executed.
They had made confessions, and therein had denounced other
persons, not only in Carriden, but in adjacent parishes. This
supplication therefore craved the appointment of a Standing
Commission to deal with such. The Council refused the request as
unreasonable, and stated that, when any particular case was
offered for their consideration, they would deal with it as
might be necessary.
We have been unable to trace any evidence of the
trial of these Carriden witches. More than likely it took place,
and, if it did, there can be little doubt as to the result. The
trial of the Bo'ness witches was thirty or forty years after
this.
In the following year—1649—we find the Council
considering the supplication of one Isobel Wilson, in Carraden,
who had been imprisoned on a false charge of witchcraft, but
since liberated by their lordships. Fearing she would be annoyed
by her accusers and brought up for trial locally, she craved
that in such a case she might be tried before the Justice Court,
as she would then have the benefit of advocates to plead for
her. Isobel apparently, though she wished the benefit of an
advocate, was also afraid, and not without reason, that a Court
composed of local assizers or jurymen would not be to her
advantage. The Council do not appear to have disposed of the
request.
In articles proven before the Council on 26th
February, 1650, against a witch, Margaret Finlayson, of the
parish of Renfrew, the following item occurs: —
"A man called Bargans, fugitive from
Borrowstounness for the alleaged cryme of sorcerie, that was
never known in that place of the counterie befor, being in
Alexander Duglass house in the Yoker, said if he knew quhere
Margaret Finlayson were shoe would give him a bunnock; and quhen
it was told him that shoe lived in the nixt house he went in to
hire, & shoe immediately following him out with a bunnock as he
hade said, & they drank tua chappins of aile together in
Alexander Duglass house befor they pairted."
If this is a sample of the sort of thing people
were branded sorcerers and witches for, suffering in many cases
death by torture, we may well feel utterly confounded at human
credulity. Plainly Bargans knew Margaret Finlayson in Yoker,
just as -any one here to-day might know some one there also. But
he did not know where she stayed, and naturally inquired at
Douglass' house (presumably an ale-house) into which he had
gone. Evidently hungry, he mentioned that, if he knew where
Margaret Finlayson stayed, and called for her, she would be sure
to give him a "bunnock." It turned out, as we have seen, that
she lived next door. He called, got his bunnock, and, in return,
brought her into the inn, where they drank "tua chappins of aile
together." And yet this was evidently sorcerie and witchcraft.
III.
But the worst case of all was still to come. In
the year 1679 the Privy Council named Cochran of Barbbachlay;
Richard Elphinstown; Saindelands of Hilderstown; Cornwall of
Bonhard; Robert Hamilton of Dechmont, Bailzie of the Regality of
Borrowstounness; Sir John Harper, advocate; Mr. William Dundas
and Mr. John Prestowne, advocates, Commissioners of •Justiciary,
specially constituted, nominated, and appointed for the trial
and judging of the persons afternamed, viz.—Annaple Thomsone,
widow in Borrowstounness; Margaret Pringle, relict •of the
deceist John Cambell, sivewright there; Margaret Hamilton,
relict of the deceist James Pollwart there; William "Craw,
indweller there; Bessie Yickar, relict of the deceased James
Pennie, indweller there; and Margaret Hamilton, relict -of the
deceist Thomas Mitchell. The parties had been duly apprehended
and imprisoned in the " tolbuith " of Borrowstounness. There
they had served upon them a copy of the precept or charge,
wherein it was stated they were suspected "guilty of the
abominable crime of witchcraft, by entering into paction with
the devill, and renouncing their baptizme." In the name •of the
Sovereign they were commanded to "compear" before the abovenamed
Commissioners, or any three of them (three being a quorum),
within the "said tolbuith of Borrowstounness" upon the 19th day
of December, 1679 there "to underlye the lawe for the crymes
above specifiet," and that under the "paines" contained in the
new Acts of Parliament. Officers of Court were likewise
commanded to summon, warn, and charge an assize or jury "of
honest and famous persons, not exceeding the number of fortie-five,"
also such witnesses who best knew the "veritie" of the persons
above complained upon.
The precept concluded thus—"Given under our hands
at Borrowstounes the twentie-nynt day of November, ane thousande
six hunder and seventie-nyne yeirs."
It was signed "R. Hamilton, J. Cornwall, Rich.
Elphinstone, W. Dundas."
IV.
The indictment makes painful and in some places
revolting reading. But it furnishes a good illustration of the
very superstitious state of the country two centuries and a half
ago. We reproduce the document4 underneath,
save the unreadable parts, which are left blank.
The accused are named and designed as already
noted, and it proceeds—
"Yee, and ilk ane of you ar indytted & accused
that whereas, notwithstanding be the law of God, particularlie
set down in the 20 chapter of Leviticus and eighteen chap, of
Dewtronomie, & be the lawes & Actes of Parliament of this
kingdome, and constant practis thereof, particularlie be the 73
Act of Parliament, 2 Marie, the cryme of witchcraft is declaired
to be ane horid, abominable, and capitall cryme, punishable with
the paines of death & confiscatioun of moveables; nevertheless
.it is of veritie that you have committed and are gwyltie of the
said cryme of witchcraft in so far as ye have entered in
pactioun with the devill, the enemie of your salvatioun, & have
renounced our blessed Lord and Saviour, and your baptisme, and
have given yourselffes, both soulles and bodies, to the devill,
and have bein severall meetings with the devill, and wyth
sundrie witches in diverse places; and particularie ye, the said
Annaple Thomsone, had a meeting with the devill the tyme of your
weidowhood, befoer you was married to your last husband, in jour
coming betwixt Linlithgow and Borrowstownes, when the devill, in
the lykness of ane black man, told you that you wis ane poore
puddled bodie, and had ane evill lyiff and difficultie ±0 win
throw the world: and promesed iff ye wald follow him and go
alongst with him you should never want, but have ane better
lyiff: and about fyve wekes therefter the devill appeired to you
when you wis goeing to the Coal-hill about sevin aclock in the
morning: having renewed his former tentatiown, you did
condeschend thereto, and declared yourselff content to follow
him & becum his servant, whereupon the devill threw you to the
ground. . . .
"And ye, and each person of you, wis at several
mettings with the devill in the linkes of Borrowstounes, and in
the house -of you, Bessie Vickar, and ye did eatt and drink with
the devill and with ane anither, and with witches in her house
in the night tyme: and the devill and the said William Craw
brought the ale which ye drank, extending to about sevin
gallons, and from the hous of Elizabeth Hamilton: and you, the
said Annaple, had ane other metting about fyve wekes ago, when
you wis goeing to the Coal-hill of Grange, and he inveitted you
to go alongst and drink with him in the Grangepannes:
And you, the said Margaret Pringle, have bein ane
witch thir many yeers bygane, had renounced your baptizme and
becum the devill's servant, and promeist to follow him: and the
devill . . . and tuik you by the right hand, whereby it was for
eight dayes grevouslie paind, but having it twitched of new
againe it imediatlie becam haill:
"And you, the said Margaret Hamilton, has bein
the devill's .servant these eight or nyne yeeres bygane: and he
appered and conversed with you at the toun-well of Borrowstownes
and several tymes in your awin hous, and drank severall choppins
of ale with you, and thereafter . . . and the devill gave you
ane fyve merk piece of gold whilk a lyttell efter becam ane
asklaittstane:
"And you, the said Margaret Hamilton, relict of
James Pullwart, has bein ane witch and the devill's servant
thirtie yeeres since, haith renounced your baptizme as said is,
and has . . . with the devil in the lyknes of ane black dowg.
"And ye, and ilk ane of you, wis at ane metting
with the-devill and other witches at the croce of Murestane,
above-Kinneil, upon the threttin of October last, where you all
danced, and the devill acted the pyper, and when you endeavored
to have distroyed Andrew Mitchell, sone to John Mitchell, elder
in. Dean of Kinneil."
We had hoped to supply a list of the names of the
jurymen, or assizers in this case, but, unfortunately, the
justiciary records, of the period have gone amissing.
Here is a copy of the verdict and commitment— "Forasmeikle
as (then here follows the names of the five women and the man),
prisoners in the Tolbuith of Borrowstownes, are found guiltie be
ane assyse of the-abominable cryme of witchcraft, comitted be
them in manner mentioned in their dittayes, and are decerned and
adjudged be-, us under-subscryvers (Commissioners of Justiciary
speciallie appoynted to this effect), to be taken to the west
end of Borrowstownes, the ordinary place of execution, ther
upon. Tuesday, the twentie-third day of December current,
betwixt two and four o'cloack in the afternoon, and ther to be
wirried at a steack till they be dead, and therefter to have
their bodies burnt to ashes: these therefoir require and command
the-baylie-principal off the Regalitie of Borrowstowness and his
deputts to see the said sentence and doom put to dew execution
in all poynts as yee will be answerable: given under our hands;
at Borrowstounes, the nynteenth day of December, 1679 years: W.
Dundas, Rich. Elphinstone, Wa. Sandilands, Jn. Cornwall, R.
Hamilton." And duly and punctually, we must sorrowfully say, was
this sentence of death carried out on the flat glebe-land at the
west end of Corbiehall, on the afternoon of the 23rd of
December, 1679.
We have heard it stated that the Bo'ness witch
burning was the last, or about the last, in Scotland, but this
is not so. There were witch trials and witch burnings long after
the one here narrated.
V.
No other local case seems to have gone to trial,
but the Carriden Kirk Session records show not a few references
to superstitions.6 One
Margaret Thompson was cited for "using magicall arte in burning
of a corn riddle to find out some money she wanted, and that on
Sabbath last, April 5th."
A man, Thomas Holland, compeared against
Christian Henderson, and alleged that, if she did not call his
mother a witch, she did mean as much, in that she should have
come to his said mother and "asked the health of her son for
God's sake: and should have taken bread from his said mother to
her said chylde."
One woman, Anna Wood by name, was accused in 1704
of witchcraft. She was brought before the session, and witnesses
appeared to prove her a witch.
Robert Nimmo, seaman, being called and required
to declare what he saw or knew anent Anna Wood, declared as
follows: — "That upon Monday, the 29th January last, about 7
o'clock at night, as he was coming from Linlithgow to the
waterside (Carriden shore), he met with six catts, who followed
him homewards till he came to Sir Walter Seton's Park Dyke at
Northbank, at which place they appeared to him as women; that he
knew one of them to be Anna Wood, and that he did speak to her,
and that she did bid kill him; and that all of them convoyed him
a considerable space and then appeared as birds fleeing by him
and about him, and after that appeared again as women and went
alongst with him till he came to the Grange, when they left him;
and that he knew the said Anna to be one of them this time also.
"The said Anna Wood, cited and compearing, was
interrogate what envye she had at Robert Nimmo that she should
have offered to kill him. Answered that she had no envye at him:
indeed she had no envye at the young man. Was asked when she was
at Holland last. Answered not there twelve years. Was asked if
she dreamed she was there since. Answered she never dreamed such
a thing. Interrogate whether she met with Robert Nimmo 29th
January, at such time and in such a place. Answer—Denyed it. Was
interrogate whether she forbade him to mention her name to the
Session. Answered she never said such a thing. Was interrogate
where she was that night at that time, for she was found to be
missing, for she had left work till nyne o'clock at night.
Answered in Thomas Henderson's and Archibald Campbell's, in
Coudonhill. Was further interrogate whether she was at Sir
Walter Seton's Park Dyke that night, the 29th January, and other
five women with her. Denyed it, saying she was free of such
scandall.
"John and James Craig were deputed to find out
whether she was in Thomas Henderson's and Archibald Campbell's
such a night, and report next day. And the said Anna to be
summoned against the next day, with other witnesses, and the
said Robert Nimmo. also that she had a candle in her hand, and
that she went fore and eft the ship, and that the half of ane
hogshead of sack was drunk out that night, for it was wanting on
the morrow, they knew not how: Also, that ane day, in Isabel
Nimmo's, the said Anna Wood did forbid him to speak of her name
to the Session. He further declared that eight nights before the
night he met them coming from Linlithgow three women came aboard
their ship and kept him from sleeping and speaking.
"James Linlithgow, seaman, cited and compearing,
declared that he saw the said Anna Wood aboard their ship, that
she went fore and eft with a candle in her hand, and he, being
admonished to take good heed what he said, asserted that he
really knew it to be Anna Wood, and that he could depone upon it
before any judge in the world, and further declared that he saw
her another night aboard a ship when he was aboard with Robert
Nimmo.
"John Craig reported that Euphaim Allan declared
that Anna Wood, on 29th January last, left her work in the said
Euphaim's house about seven hours at night, and was not in again
till nine o'clock.
"James Steidman, skipper, declared that if ever
he saw Anna Wood in his days, he saw her at the Briell, in
Holland, in his ship cabin, when he was last there, anno 1693,
otherwise the devill in her likeness, at which time he lost a
boy.
"The said Anna Wood, cited, called, and non-compearing,
it was told the Session that she was fled, whereupon the clerk
was ordered to draw out the whole process against her, to be
sent to Edinburgh: and referred to the magistrate, and in
particular to the Bailie of Grange, to make search for her: all
which was done."
It was well for Anna Wood that she fled, for her
life was in serious danger. In that very year a woman was burned
on the opposite shore of Torryburn for witchcraft, and the
evidence recorded above shows that the Session and Parish of
Carriden might have been guilty of a similar crime had the
opportunity not been snatched from them.
The laws against witchcraft in Scotland were
afterwards abolished, As Graham says—" It was a terrible blow to
the credulous and pious when the old Act against witchcraft was
abolished, in 1736, and, instead of death being passed on all"
traffickers with Satan,' there was a prosaic, rational
statute-left making liable to a year's imprisonment and three
months in the pillory all vulgar practisers of occult arts ' who
pretended, to tell fortunes and discover stolen goods.' "
We have now as a nation strong views on the
sacredness of human life, which is doubtless a reaction from the
carelessness, of former generations. But although witchcraft has
been legally abolished, the cult of the witch is so dear to
humanity that it is in some aspects as prevalent to-day as it
was some-centuries ago.