North Berwick witch hunt 1590-1591, 1597

Question 1

When was the witch hunt?

Answer 1

1590-1591, 1597

Question 2

How many people were affected?

Answer 2

70 people between 1590-1593

Question 3

Which group was targeted?

Answer 3

Mainly women but there were also some men.

Question 4

How was Scotland’s govt system different to England’s?

Answer 4

It was less complex and had fewer royal agents to keep an eye on local officials.

Question 5

What religious changes did Scotland go through in the 16th century?

Answer 5

A reformation, like in England and other parts of Europe but along stricter protestant lines.
Heightened anti-catholic feeling.

Question 6

How else was Scotland different to England?

Answer 6

• Torture could be used with authority from govt.
• A greater number of people were poor.
• Only a majority was needed to find someone guilty - not a unanimous verdict.

Question 7

What was James’ role in the witch hunts?

Answer 7

He was actively involved, interrogating victims personally (Agnes Sampson)

Question 8

How did his childhood experiences lead to childhood trauma?

Answer 8

• His mother (catholic) was forced to abdicate and then executed.
• He was taught that there was a catholic anti-christ in Scotland.
• His father was murdered whilst James was still a baby.
• He became fearful of plots to kill him and treason.

Question 9

What was the impact of James’ paranoia on the witch hunts?

Answer 9

Could have helped them become more widespread as James became more actively involved.

Question 10

Why did James have to travel to Denmark?

Answer 10

His wife, Anne of Denmark, needed to be collected as storms had prevented her from coming.

Question 11

How did James’ visit to Denmark influence his beliefs on magic?

Answer 11

Niels Hemmingsen: Had written a book on magic in 1575.

Witch trials had taken place in Denmark in 16th century.

Question 12

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

Answer 12

• Accused of raising storms to sink Anne’s ship and sending demons onboard to drag it under.
• She gave names of 5 other women - including Agnes Sampson.

Question 13

Who were Gilly Duncan and David Seaton?

Answer 13

• Gilly worked for David, who was the local bailiff.
• She took time off work to heal elderly members of her community - they recovered.
• David accused her of stealing from him - also rumours of them having an affair.

Question 14

What was the main thing that Gilly Duncan was accused of?

Answer 14

Having “unnatural healing abilities”.

Question 15

How was Gilly treated after she was arrested?

Answer 15

• Tortured with thumbscrews and cords around her head - she didn’t confess.
• She was searched for the witch’s mark - this is what led to her confession.

Question 16

Who was Agnes Sampson?

Answer 16

• Friend of Gilly Duncan and was personally interrogated by King James VI.
• She was an elderly woman who was known to be a healer, midwife, and cunning woman.

Question 17

What was Agnes accused of?

Answer 17

• Healing the sick
• Discovering personal info on behalf of others.
• Sailing across the sea in a sieve.
• Calling on the devil in the form of a dog to assist in healing.

Question 18

What happened during Agnes’ trial?

Answer 18

• Tortured during interrogation as well as while imprisoned.
• Admits to being responsible for storms during James’ journey to Denmark.
• She was able to repeat what James said to Anne on their wedding night.
• She accused many other people of being witches.

Question 19

Who was John Fian?

Answer 19

• A schoolmaster who was implicated by Gilly Duncan.

- He was suspected because he could speak Greek and Latin - illiterates didn’t trust him.

Question 20

What was Fian accused of?

Answer 20

• Being the secretary at a coven.
• Bewitching a man.
• Tried to bewitch a woman to fall in love with him.
• Robbing body parts to use in charms.

Question 21

How was John Fian tortured?

Answer 21

Was recorded in the Newes of Scotland:

• Nails under fingers.
• Boots.
• Head twisted with a rope.

Question 22

Who was the Earl of Bothwell?

Answer 22

• Francis Stewart
• James’ cousin but loses favour with the King after he criticised him.
• James dislikes Bothwell - it was Bothwell who told him to make the journey to Denmark reinforcing the belief that it was a plot to kill James.

Question 23

What happened to Bothwell?

Answer 23

He is arrested but escapes. He pleads to the King for a trial where he is finally acquitted.
James fears Bothwell, however, so withdraws his pardon and leads to him fleeing to Europe.

Question 24

What does the Bothwell case show to us about witchcraft belief?

Answer 24

• Belief in magic was deeply intertwined with politics: increased paranoia of treason for James.
• Suggests that there could be ulterior motives for accusations.

Question 25

What led to the 1597 witch hunt?

Answer 25

• The general commission.
• Lack of central control in Scotland.
• James VI’s ‘Daemonologie’

Question 26

What was happening in Scotland at the time?

Answer 26

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

Question 27

What was the General Commission?

Answer 27

5 judges who had been given the power to torture at will.

Commissions were given to nobles and magistrates - this made trials and convictions more likely.

Question 28

Why was central control in Scotland so weak?

Answer 28

James was unwilling to deal with the Catholics.
It was also difficult for him to maintain control from Edinburgh across the country - highlands and the islands for example.

Question 29

Why did James write the Daemonologie?

Answer 29

As a response to the sceptical work of Reginald Scot.

To clarify his own stance on witchcraft.

Question 30

What does James clarify regarding magic and witchcraft in the Daemonologie?

Answer 30

• The devil was extremely powerful and a danger.
• Witches have a close association with the devil.
• God limited magical powers.

Question 31

What does James outline should take place in a hunt?

Answer 31

1) Search for the devil’s mark.
2) Swimming test is an effective method.
3) Women are more likely to be witches as they are vulnerable and easy to be led astray.

Question 32

What was the impact of the Daemonologie?

Answer 32

It was published several times and spread across Europe - James was seen as an expert.
It inspired a witch hunt fervour.

Question 33

What impact did James have on the witch hunts?

Answer 33

He politicised them: treason and witchcraft became linked.

Some argue that his influence diminished as the church was given witch-hunting responsibility in 1592.

Question 34

What was James’ involvement in the 1597 hunts?

Answer 34

He continued to want to interrogate witches personally and had an active interest in the hunt.

Question 35

What brought the 1597 trials to an end?

Answer 35

Some of the trials led to false accusations and miscarriages of justice - some commissions start to be withdrawn.