North Berwick - 1590-91 & 97 Flashcards
Gilly Duncan
Who was she & what was she accused of?
- 1st person accused of being a witch in North Berwick.
- She had taken time off work to heal the ill.
- Accussed of possessing ‘unnatural healing abilities’.
- Tortured & confessed & accused others.
What did the Scottish Witchcraft Act do?
1563
- Made witchcraft illegal and punishable by death
- Legalised torture
Influenced by Calvinists
Agnes Sampson
Who was he & what was he accused of and by who?
- Personally interroated & examined by King James.
- Accused of sailing across the sea in a sieve.
- Confesses to causing storms during James’ trip back from Denmark.
- Confession leads to the Francis Hepburn/ Stewart (5th Earl of Bothwell) being accused.
Give an overview of the Scottish population in 1500s compared to now
Pop. was 1 million this meant
33 people per square mile.
Now its 174 people per square miles.
Explain the government system in Scotland
- Crown (King James, culture, learning and civilary)
- Privy council - making sure everyone obeyed laws
- Parliament - made the laws
With was all in Edinburgh and so the law was hard to enforce across Scotland.
John Fian
Who was he, what accused of, by who, torture?
- He was suspected because he could speak Latin & Greek.
- Accused of attempting to bewitch a woman to fall in love with him.
- Heavily tortured, we know about it through Newes from Scotland.
- Along with other accused witches including Sampson, he was strangled then burnt.
Who was the King of Scotland in 1500s?
King James
Why was King James so paranoid?
- King from 13 months old as his father was murdered.
What typical elements of persecutions did the North Berwick witch-hunts contain?
A large number of women were accused.
They were charged with fraternising with the Devil.
A case of maleficium was central to the case.
What makes the North Berwich witch hunt unique?
Involvement of royalty.
James VI of Scotland took a personal interest in events, and one of the central charges against the accused was conjuring a storm to prevent James and his new wife, Anne of Denmark, from travelling to Scotland after their marriage.
What was witchunting like in comparison to England?
More widespread & intense, with a relatively large number of executions and extensive use of torture.
What was Scotlands government like compared to England and what were the consequences of this?
- Less complex government.
- With fewer royal agents at the monarchs disposal, local officials were usually allowed to pursue witch huts without interference, resulting in trials dominated & directed by paranoid neighbors of suspected witches.
When was torture allowed to be used in Scotland?
Only be used with the consent of the Privy Council or Parliament of Scotland- but as the Scottish monarchy was relatively weak, local judges often allowed torture without suffering repercussions.
In Scotland, how would you find a defendent guilty?
Although Scotland had a jury system, a simple majority was needed to find a defendent guilty, rather than a unanimous decision.
How did the nature of religion in Scotland play a part in increasing the intensity of witch hunting?
- Like England, Scotland witnessed a Protestant reformation, but on stricter, Calvinist lines.
- An air of anti-Catholic feeling heightened an already well established suspicion of rituals and traditions, the use of which was increasingly blamed on witches.
How poor was Scotland compared to England and what was the consequence of this?
- Scotland was relatively poor.
- In the context, the appeal of the notion that the Devil was able to offer people eternal riches and a fruitful life while they were on earth can be understood.
- The Christian church made promises of eternal rewards in the afterlife, only after a life of virtue and godliness on Earth first.
What would happen to the children of accused witches?
- Would suffer the same reputation as their parents, and were referred to as ‘witch’s get’.
- In a deeply patriarchal society, women who were antisocial or caused their neighbors distressed were often so labelled.
Other than witchcraft, what other deeply held beliefs were there & what could these beliefs lead to?
- Fairies & folk magic used for helpfull purposes.
- This could result in accusations of wrongdoing.
Witchhunting in late 16th century
Where did most of the hunts take place & why was this?
South- where people had more contact with England, and away from the Highlands.
Witchhunting in late 16th century
Who was the Scottish witchcraft act passed under & what was it heavily influenced by?
- Mary Stuart- Queen of Scots- mother of James I.
- Heavily influenced by Calvinist clergymen keen to enforce godly morals.
What could be set up under the witchcraft act to investigate cases & what were the consequences of this ?
Commissions of judges, 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 level, rather than a local level.
Witchhunting in late 16th century
When did accusations tend to peak?
At times of crisis or economic difficulty, such as years of poor harvest, political upheaval or war.
Gilly Duncans confession
How was she tortured?
‘Pilliwinks’ or thumbscrews.
These would be tightened gradually as question was repeated.
Also by cords around her head. This was a common method of torture in Scotand, whereby the cords would be jerked about in order to rattle the brain.
Gilly Duncans confession
Who was David Seaton and how did he know Gilly?
- Duncan worked as a maidservant for Seaton (the local deputy bailiff).
- He questioned her about where she had required her remarkable skills & why she had been stealing from his house & dissapearing for days at a time.
- She remained silent in her questioning then the torture began- he was assisted with other in the tortue.
What may have been Seatons reasoning for pressing ahead with torture ?
- Her stealing from him or being absent from work.
- Other historians suggest the two may have entered an affair that ended shortly before the accusations were made.
- Some of the accomplicies she named were the wives of respectable Edinburgh gentlemen, whose previous reputations had been impeccable.
The impact of James VIs voyage from Denmark
Why did James travel to Denmark & what was his journey like?
- He had married 14 year old Anne of Denmark. She had attempted to set sail for Scotland 3 times, starting in 1589, but each time her fleet was driven back by storms.
- The Danish admiral, Peter Munk, had never recalled previously witnessing storms so dangerous & attributed them to witchcraft.
While in Denmark- who did James meet & what beliefs did they hold?
Number of scientists & philosophers.
Also met a leading Danish theologian, Niels Hemmingsen, with whom he discussed Calvinism at length.
Also met a number of courtiers (adviser / companion to king or queen) who held strong beliefs in group witch trials.
