3- The North Berwick witches in Scotland, 1590-91 Flashcards
Long Term Causation : 1563 Scottish Witchcraft Act
- Passed by Mary Queen of Scots
- Scotland had very few witch trials before then
- Law allowed judges to be hired to go around Scotland and investigate cases
- Led to increase in the number of witch trials in the 1560s + 70s
Agnes Sampson
-old woman, reputation
-midwife, healer and cunning women, fit description of typical suspect
unusual- well educated
King James personally integrated her and examined at Holyrood Palace where they discovered her Devils mark
Torture- witches bridle, kept mouth open, cords around limbs, kept awake
she had calm and logical answers despite pressures
She was the first accused to be questioned in depth
She confessed to the storms that James VI was in
IMPACT
-James VI stated she was a liar, so she repeated words from his wedding night
-Magistrates agreed she was leader of the Coven, moved away from only NB due to her job
-Barbara Napier- friend of Bothwell
Richard Graham- knew Bothwell, tried to sell him a ring with spirit
Effie McCaylan- daughter of Lord. Her servants testified against her
Long Term Causation : Scottish Legal System
- very simple
- it had very few royal agents this meant local officials could pursue witches without issues
- only needed a majority, not a unanimous decision
- local judges took advantage of weak law enforcement to use tortue
Continuation : James Role
- James enthusiasm for witch hunting, created a climate where witch hunting flourished
- James concerned by Earl of Bothwell’s possible links to witchcraft and the persecution of Bothwell continued until 1595
- James’ personal interest in the NB trials was widely publicised in Newes from Scotland
- directly questioned Sampson
- believed he was personally at risk from witchcraft
- his country was divided he Calvinish/ his mother was Catholic
Continuation : Role of Margaret Aitken
- Margaret ( arrested as a witch) agreed to help the authorities identify other witches
- 1597 hunt ended shortly after authorities became suspicious of her accusation’s when she began to identify people as witches who she had previously claimed were innocent
Continuation : Witch Commissions
- commissions were given by the King in mid 1592 to nobles and magistrates for the investigation and trial of witches
- 1596 Privy Council gave a commission to Sir Will Steward to investigate accusations of witchcraft in the highlands
- judicial procedures made trials + easy to arrange; 5 judges in 1591 were named on a commission with no specified subjects
- commissions meant to tortue at will
Continuation- James VI and Daemonlogie
-Published in 1597
-search for Devils mark was important
-swimming test was effective
-demonic possession was easy to identify
-vulnerability of women to deceptions of the Devil
-suggested it was a reaction to trials
-role in actively promoting the trials
Earl of Bothwell
- first cousin of King James VI
- initially trusted and joined the privy council
- however : he tried to arrest a royal favourite in 1583, in 1587 he openly criticised James
- 1589 found guilty of treason
- Anges Sampson stated Bothwell asked her to predict when James died + getting her to send her familiar to kill the King
- Arrested in 1591
- escaped from Edinburgh Castle after being told he would be put on trial
- tried multiple times to capture the King but failed
- Bothwell forced his way into the King’s palace to plead for a pardon
Long Term Causation : Existing beliefs in fairies + folk magic
- Scotland very poor, Scots susceptible to the eternal riches offered by the Devil
- Fairies considered as real as air
- Anti-social women would get bad reputations
Gilly Duncan- Causation
-reputed to have unnatural healing abilities as she visited the sick and disabled to help them
-neighbours started gossiping when they heard her healing was working, they blamed it on dark, supernatural forces
-She was not a typical witch- not old, or isolated
-maid servant for David Seaton who was a local deputy bailiff
-he questioned her- accused of stealing and disappearing
-she remained stubborn until torture began
Torture received- pilliwinks, thumb screws, cords about head
Continued to deny- Seaton searched for witches mark, which was found on her throat, once found she confessed
-sent to prison and accused a number of people (Anges Sampson + John Fian)
Names- wives of respectable Edinburgh Gentlemen who had impeccable reputations
Impact of Bothwell
- Bothwell stated that ‘people’ could testify that James threatened them with tortue if they did not implicate Bothwell
- Bothwell exiled (limited impact)
- created uncertainty for James VI
John Fian Accused
- school master charged with 20 counts of witchcraft in 1590
- tortured with rope and needles under fingernails
- people worried about him because he was literate
- accused of kiss of shame and flying through the air
- easy target for accusations ; as a schoolmaster he came into contact with many locals
Long Term Impact : Further Witch Trials
- NB witch hunt sparked a number of other witch trials
- 1595, 3 women were put on trial for talking to the Earl of Bothwell
Long Term Impact : Legal Impact
- ‘general commision’ set up to try witches : however, some suggest it was set up in 1592 but some state nothing was set up even by 1597
- minimal evidence does prove that witch trials were made easy to set up
- 1596, James requested that all witchcraft cases be discussed by the Privy Council
Continuation (Poor Centralised Gov)
-problems maintaining control
-conflict between King and the Kirk for them not doing enough to deal with witchcraft
-trials often carried out by local authorities, no instructions by central gov
-difficult to maintain control over proceedings as they were far from Edinburgh
-most trials away took place on estates of landowners
-limited reports to Privy Council
-Bothwell- threat when there was limited control, also had a claim to the throne if James didn’t marry
