Soon after Catherine Oswald's execution, one of her crew or covin, who had
been with her on the great storm in "the borrowing days (in anno 1625), on
the Brae of the Saltpans," a noted warlock, by name Alexander Hunter, or
Hamilton, _alias_ Hatteraick, which last name he had gotten from the
devil, was brought to execution on the Castle Hill. It was in 1629 that he
was taken. It was proved that on Kingston hills he had met with the devil
as a black man, or, as Sinclair says, as a mediciner; and often
afterwards he would meet him riding on a black horse, or he would appear
as a corbie, cat, or dog. When Alexander wanted him he would beat the
ground with a fir stick lustily, crying, "Rise up, foul thief!" for the
master got but hard names at times from his servants. This fir stick, and
four shillings sterling, the devil gave to him when the compact was first
made between them; and he confessed, moreover, that when raised in this
manner he could only be got rid of by sacrificing to him a cat or dog, or
such like, "quick." Also he set on fire Provost Cockburn's mill of corn,
by taking three stalks from his stacks, and burning them on Garleton
Hills; and he owned to a deadly hatred against Lady Ormiston, because she
once refused him "ane almous," and called him "ane custroune carle." So,
to punish her, he and some witches raised the devil in Salton Wood, where
he appeared like a man in gray clothes, and gave him the bottom of a blue
clew, telling him to lay it at the lady's door: "which he and the women
having done, 'the lady and her daughter were soon thereafter bereft of
their naturall lyfe.'" But Sinclair's account is the most graphic. I will
give it in his own words:--
"Anent Hattaraick, an old Warlock.
"This man's name was Sandie Hunter, who called himself Sandie Hamilton,
and it seems so called Hattaraik by the devil, and so by others as a
Nickname. He was first a Neatherd in East Lothian, to a gentleman there.
He was much given to charming and cureing of men and Beasts, by words and
spels. His charms sometimes succeeded and sometimes not. On a day, herding
his kine upon a Hill side in the summer time, the Devil came to him in
form of a Mediciner, and said, 'Sandie, you have too long followed my
trade, and never acknowledged me for your master. You must now take on
with me, and I will make you more perfect in your calling.' Whereupon the
man gave up himself to the devil, and received his Mark with this new
name. After this he grew very famous throw the countrey for his charming
and cureing of diseases in men and beasts, and turned a vagrant fellow
like a Jockie, gaining Meat, Flesh, and Money by his Charms, such was the
ignorance of many at that time.
"Whatever House he came to, none durst refuse Hattaraik an alms, rather
for his ill than his good. One day he came to the yait of Samuelstown,
when some Friends after dinner were going to Horse. A young Gentleman,
Brother to the Lady, seeing him, switcht him about the ears, saying, 'You
Warlok Cairle, what have you to do here?' whereupon the Fellow goes away
grumbling, and was overheard to say, 'You shall dear buy this, ere it be
long.' This was _Damnum Minatum_. The young Gentleman conveyed his Friends
a far way off, and came home that way again, where he slept. After supper,
taking his horse and crossing Tine-water to go home, he rides throw a
shadowy piece of a Haugh, commonly called the Allers, and the evening
being somewhat dark he met with some Persons there that begat a dreadful
consternation in him, which for the most part he would never reveal. This
was _malum secutum_. When he came home, the Servants observed terror and
fear in his countenance. The next day he became distracted, and was bound
for several days. His sister, the Lady Samuelstoun, hearing of it, was
heard to say, 'Surely that knave Hattaraik is the cause of his Trouble.
Call for him in all haste.' When he had come to her, 'Sandie,' says she,
'what is this you have done to my brother William?' 'I told him,' says
he, 'I should make him repent his striking of me at the Yait lately.' She
gave the Rogue fair words, and promising him his Pock full of Meal with
Beef and Cheese, persuaded the Fellow to cure him again. He undertook the
business; 'but I must first,' says he, 'have one of his Sarks,' which was
soon gotten. What pranks he plaid with it cannot be known. But within a
short while the gentleman recovered his health. When Hatteraik came to
receive his wadges, he told the Lady, 'Your Brother William shal quickly
goe off the Countrey but shall never return.' She, knowing the Fellow's
prophecies to hold true, caused her Brother to make a Disposition to her
of all his patrimony, to the defrauding of his younger brother George.
After that this Warlock had abused the Countrey for a long time, he was at
last apprehended at Dunbar, and brought into Edinburgh, and burnt upon the
Castle Hill." But not until he had delated several others of hitherto good
repute, so that for the next few months the witch-finder's hands were
full.