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History - Witchcraft > North Berwick > Flashcards

North Berwick Flashcards

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1
Q

Years of hunt

A

1590-91, 1597

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2
Q

How many people were affected by the hunt?

A

70 people between 1590-1593

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3
Q

Which group of people were targeted?

A

A large number of women but some men as well

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4
Q

How was the government system different to England?

A

It was less complex and fewer royal agents to keep an eye on local officials, meaning they could pursue witch-hunys without interference

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5
Q

What religious changes did Scotland go through in the sixteenth century?

A

A reformation- but along stricter Calvinist lines, there was a heightening on anti-Catholic feeling

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6
Q

How else was Scotland different to England? (aside from govt and religion)

A

Torture could be used with authority from the Privy Council
A greater number of people were poor
Only a majority was needed to find someone guilty, not a unanimous decision

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7
Q

What role does James take in the witch hunts?

A

He is actively involved, personally interrogating the witches

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8
Q

How did his childhood lead to paranoid thoughts?

A

His mother was forced to abdicate due to conspiracies and later killed by Elizabeth I –> he was always conscious that plots against him could begin at any time
His mother was a Catholic but he was taught there was a Catholic anti Christ working in Scotland
It led to him being fearful of treason and plots to kill him
Secondly, he grew up in a highly charged religious environment - concern about his mother’s Catholicism was countered by the Calvinism of his tutors

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9
Q

What impact would James’ background have had on the witch hunts?

A

It couldn’t have led to them starting but could have helped them to become more widespread as James became more involved

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10
Q

Why did James have to travel to Denmark?

A

His wife Anne of Denmark attempted to set sail for Scotland 3 times, but each time her fleet was driven back by storms - it was attributed to witch craft. James ordered Bothwell to get her but his costs were too high so James collected her himself

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11
Q

Did James’s voyage encourage his beliefs in witches?

A

There is no evidence that James was interested before 1590, and there were few books on witchcraft and magic printed or imported into Scotland
Before James’ voyage, the witchcraft act was rarely enforced to the letter
Some historians suggest that Niels Hemmingson meeting with James may have fired his belief in witchcraft
In his book, Hemmingson accepted that witches were able to carry out acts of Maleficium, but he denied a pact with the Devil

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12
Q

How was Anna Koldings connected to the Denmark visits and the North Berwick witch trials?

A

She was accused of raising a storm to sink Anne’s ship and sending demons onboard to pull it under

She gave the names of 5 other women- who were also accused, including Agnes Sampson

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13
Q

Who were Gilly Duncan and David Seaton?

A

Gilly Duncan had worked for David Seaton, a local bailiff
She had taken time off work to heal ill and elderly members of her community - they recovered
He also accused her of stealing, there were also rumours of them having an affair

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14
Q

What is Gilly Duncan accused of?

A

Having ‘unnatural healing abilities’

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15
Q

How was Gilly Duncan treated after she was arrested?

A

She was tortured with thumbscrews and cords around her head - failed to confess
She was searched for a witches mark- this led to her confession

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16
Q

Who was Agnes Sampson?

A

She was a friend of Gilly Duncan and was personally interrogated by King James
She was an elderly woman who had a reputation as a midwife, healer and cunning woman

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17
Q

What was Agnes Sampson accused of?

A

Healing the sick, discovering information of a personal nature on behalf of others, sailing across the sea in a sieve, calling on the devil in the form of a dog to assist with healing

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18
Q

What happened during Sampson’s trial?

A

She was tortured both during questioning (cords tied around her limbs) and while imprisoned (witches bridle and sleep deprivation)
She admits to being responsible for the storms during James journey from Denmark
She was able to repeat what James said to Anne on their first night of marriage
She accused many other witches, including some high ranking members of society

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19
Q

Who was John Fian?

A

A schoolmaster, who was implicated by Gilly Duncan

He was suspected because he was able to speak Latin and Greek- illiterate locals didn’t trust him

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20
Q

What was Fian accused of?

A

Being the secretary at coven meetings, bewitching a man, attempting to bewitch a woman to fall in love with him, robbing graces for body parts to use in charms

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21
Q

How was Fian tortured and why do we know this?

A

It was recorded in Newes from Scotland

  • Nails under the fingers
  • Boots
  • Head twisted with a rope
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22
Q

Who was the Earl of Bothwell?

A

First cousin of James- but loses favour when he openly criticises James
James disliked Bothwell- Bothwell had suggested that James make the journey to Denmark- storms part of a plot to kill James

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23
Q

What happens to Bothwell?

A

Bothwell is arrested but escapes, he pleads with the King who gives him a trial- he is initially acquitted.

James fears him and withdraws his pardon- Bothwell flees to Europe

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24
Q

How does Bothwell explain why the trials became widespread?

A

Shows that belief in magic was tightly intertwined with politics- increased paranoia of treason for James
Suggests that there could be ulterior motives for accusations

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25
Q

What led to the national hunt in 1597?

A

The general commission

Lack of central control

26
Q

What was happening in in Scotland at the time?

A

The hunt came at a time of poor harvest, and widespread plague and disease
Judicial procedures and central control weak

27
Q

What was the general commission?

A

5 judges were given permission to torture at will, commissions were then given to nobles and magistrates - this made trials and convictions more likely

28
Q

Why was central control weak in Scotland?

A

James was unwilling to deal with the Catholics and it was difficult for him to maintain control from Edinburgh to the highlands and islands

29
Q

Why was Daemonologie written?

A

In response to Reginald Scot’s sceptical work

Clarify his stance on witchcraft after the 1597 hunt

30
Q

What does James clarify regarding magic and witchcraft in Daemonologie?

A

The Devil is extremely powerful and a danger
Witches have a close association with the Devil
God limited magical powers

31
Q

What does James outline should take place in a hunt?

A

Search for Devil’s Marks- very important
Swimming test an effective identification method
Women are more like to be witches because they are vulnerable to be led astray

32
Q

What was the impact of Daemonologie?

A

It was published several times and distributed across Europe- James was seen as an expert
It inspired a witch hunting fervour

33
Q

What impact did James have on the witch hunts?

A

He politicised them- treason and witchcraft became linked

34
Q

What involvement did James have in the 1597 trials?

A

He continued to want to interrogate witches personally, and took an active interest

35
Q

What brought the 1597 trials to an end?

A

Some of trials led to false accusations and miscarriages of justices
Some commissions started to be withdrawn

36
Q

Why the hunt took place in 1590?

A

The use of torture to extract further confessions and accusations from Gilly Seaton sparked the hunt as it resulted in further accusations including two high profile ones of Agnes Sampson and John Fian

37
Q

Why the 1590 hunt was able to take place?

A
  • The criminalisation of witches enabled cases to coalesce into a larger hunt, like in North Berwick.
    → This was aided by the weakened political context which allowed local magistrates to get consumed by local paranoia and suspicion ie. David Seaton and Gilly Duncan
  • Remarkable for politicising witchcraft and created a connection, albeit inadvertently, between treason and witchcraft
  • The political system forged an environment where torture allowed for these accusations to continue until more than 70 people had been accused, this reveals the wide reaching impact that the political system had on society
  • A combination of strong religious influences within government and also a monarch with strong Calvinist sympathies created an environment that allowed anti-magic feeling to increase and potentially influence surrounding communities, like North Berwick
38
Q

Why it became widespread?

A

The similarities between Denmark’s early hunts and Scotland’s later ones reveal that there was perhaps a subconscious influence of Denmark on Scotland
Torture allowed for these accusations to continue until more than 70 people had been accused, this reveals the influence of torture in causing the hunt to become more widespread

39
Q

When was the Scottish Witchcraft Act passed?

And why did it still have elements of scepticism?

A

1563, passed under Mary Queen of Scots (mother of James I) and it was heavily influenced by Calvinist clergymen to enforce good morals
The wording of the Act treated the existence of witchcraft with a degree of scepticism
Witches are referred to as abusers of the people rather than genuine Devil worshippers

40
Q

How did the Scottish witchcraft act affect witchcraft trials?

A

Commissions of judges could be set up under the Witchcraft Act in order to investigate cases, and they were sent around the country when required. This meant that witchcraft became one of the few crimes that could be dealt with on a national, rather than local level

41
Q

What was witch-hunting like in Scotland in the late 16th century

A
  • Witchhunting started relatively late in Scotland, with the first major hunts occurring toward the end of the 16th century
  • The majority of hunts took place in the south, where people had more contact with England, and away from the Highlands
  • At first, the number of accused persons was low
  • Years 1590-91 were some of the most intense for witch-hunting that Scotland had seen, until accusations peaked in the mid-17th century, and then declined rapidly
42
Q

Why was Gilly Duncan not a typical witch?

A

She was neither old nor particularly isolated from her community

43
Q

What was Duncan tortured with?

A
  • ‘pilliwinks’ or thumb-screws
  • She was also tortured with cords around her head - common method of torture
  • Duncan continued to deny her involvement in witchcraft, so Seaton set about searching for a Witch’s mark
    Duncan stated her cures had been the work of the Devil, and she was sent to prison, where she started to name other witches
44
Q

What did James do in Denmark?

A

Met a number of scientists and philosophers, and his royal engagements included a visit to astronomer Tycho Brahe’s home.
He also met with a leading Danish theologian, Niels Hemmingsenm with whom he discusses Calvinism at length.
A few months later, members of the Danish court made a visit to Scotland and James’ conviction against witches were strengthened in conversation with them

45
Q

In what way was witchcraft connected between Denmark and Scotland?

A
  • Scotland’s reformation shared many characteristics with that which took place in Denmark, and events in Denmark reinforced Scottish prejudices e.g.trials in Denmark were often based on hidden Catholocism
  • In the North Berwick ase, the connection between Danish and Scottish witchcraft was first made in July 1590, when a women in Leith and prophesised that James would carry out noble acts. Later the month the news reached Scotland that a number of witches in Denmarks had been arrested for conjuring up storms that had prevented Anne from traveling e.g. Anna Koldings
46
Q

How did Agnes Sampson’s interrogation go?

A
  • King James himself interrogated her, after officials had already discovered the Devil’s Mark on her body
  • While she was not being questioned, a witch’s bridle, a device that kept the mouth open with a number of prongs
  • She also had cords tied round her limbs and twisted tightly
  • She was kept awake for several days and nights
47
Q

Why was James so convinced by Sampson’s confession?

A

She repeated the exact words that had passed between James and Anne on their first night of their marriage in Oslo

48
Q

What did John Fian’s torture consist of?

A
  • His head was twisted with rope
  • Needles were driven under his fingernails
  • He was placed in a device known as the ‘boots’
    Methods are well used in Scotland
49
Q

What were James’ opinions on the trials and torture?

A
  • James certainly approved the torture of suspects and interviewed many himself
  • He also promoted the idea that the suspected witches were actively worshipping the Devil
  • James could also use the trials to assist his political cause - he had long coveted the English throne and was keen to promote himself there
50
Q

How did Newes from Scotland promote James I?

A

Presented him as a godly Protestant who was concerned with defending his people from the same threats faced by the English

51
Q

What did Newes from Scotland write about witchcraft?

A

Provided justification and acted as a guide for further witch-hunts in Scotland because it showed that the King agreed that the witches should be eliminated

52
Q

Why is North Berwick witch hunt unusual with regards to torture?

A

There is detailed accounts of the torture inflicted in the form of the pamphlet Newes from Scotland. It is difficult to ascertain whether the level of torture used in North Berwick is typical of Scottish witch-hunts

53
Q

Why did James withdrew his pardon for Bothwell?

A

He was fearful of Bothwell’s growing political influence

As a result Bothwell was forced into exile

54
Q

Give an example of a Commission aiding witch hunts.

A

1595, authorities in Edingburgh tortured a suspected witch, Alison Balfour, for 2 days, without a warrant from the king. Her whole family was also brutally tortured. She was executed despite the fact that she recanted the confession she made under torture.
This case goes some way to explaining why the Privy Council reduced the number of commissions after 1597

55
Q

What were the contextual reasons for the 1597 hunt occuring?

A

It came at a time of poor harvest and widespread plague. The judicial procedures also contributed to increased executions, as they were under again under the instruction of local officials, who would rely on disgruntled local witnesses

56
Q

What are the details about the 1597 hunt?

A

In March 1597 a large trial took place in Aberdeen against Janet Wishart. She was executed alonside one of her accused accomplices. Although the hunt was over by October, it had spread as far as Fife and Stirlingshire, leading to over 400 accusations

57
Q

Who was responsible for the 1597 hunt spreading so far geographically?

A

Margaret Aitken, who was accused but agreed to assist the authorities in identifying further offenders. She traveled around Scotland with the King’s agents and asked to identify witches for trial

58
Q

Why did authorities become suspicious of Margaret Aitken?

A

She began to identify people as witches, who she’d previously claimed to be innocent

59
Q

Why did a lack of strong central control allow the 1597 hunt to be widespread?

A
  • James always had problems with maintaining central control. There are reports of him growing dissatisfied with the Kirk for not doing enough to deal with witchcraft, and the Kirk had a vested interest in ensuring that James failed
  • The monarch and the Kirk were in open conflict in 1596
  • trials were often carried out by local officials and there were no instructions from central govt on how to carry out trials
60
Q

What was the conclusion in James’ Daemonologie?

A
  • Witches exist, and they should be prosecuted by the authorities
  • If people deny that this is the case they have been led astray and are perhaps in the league with witches themselves - he was likely targeting the ministers who had criticised him for his support of the 1597 witch trials
61
Q

What does historian Jenny Wormald say about James’ involvement in the 1597 hunt?

A

His role in the 1597 hunt was as a sceptic rather than actively encouraging it
She argues James was content to pass off the responsibility of witchcraft to the church

62
Q

How did the 1597 hunt affect James’ views on witchcraft?

A

The apparent miscarriage of justice in 1597 greatly affected James and he became sceptical of witchcraft by the turn of the next decade. He seemed more concerned with discovering fraudulent witches than those using real supernatural powers

History - Witchcraft (9 decks)

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