Witch-finders--Disasters ascribed to
Witches--Witch-marks--Witches Familiars--Preparing a
Witch for Judicial Examination--John Kinnaird--Patrick
Watson and his Wife pricked--Confession of Guilt--The
Devil's Sabbaths--Sumptuous Entertainments and
Grandeur at Satan's Feasts--Repulsive Acts there
also--Feasts ended at Cock-crowing--Transformation--A
Woman weighing only Four Ounces--A Witch-finder sent
from Scotland to Newcastle at the request of the
Authorities--Complaints against Witches
demanded--Deception discovered--Trying Witches in
Northumberland County--Escape of the Witch-finder from
Justice--Hopkins's Methods of detecting Witches--Zeal
of the Clergy in Scotland in condemning Witches--Witch
burned within the Sea-mark--Extracts from Kirk-session
Records of Perth relative to Witchcraft--Witches at
Kirkcaldy--A Clerical Witch-finder.
Every town and county had its witch-finder, whose duty it was to
detect and bring to trial all those tainted with witchcraft or
sorcery. Considering that almost every accident which happened was
attributed to sorcery, the duties of the witch-finder were most
important. According to his diligence so was the safety of persons and
property. Hail-storms, destructive floods, dangerous fires, disease
among cattle, and domestic afflictions were all ascribed to
witchcraft. A mole or wart discovered on any part of an old woman's
body was thought to be a witch-mark. If a suspected witch did not shed
tears, it was presumptive evidence of guilt; if she kept a black cat,
it was taken for a familiar; and all these circumstances together were
regarded as infallible signs of her evil nature. An expert
witch-finder knew all the wiles and arts of his profession. To prepare
the suspected witch for judicial examination, a particular diet was
sometimes given her, to counteract the unguents she had anointed
herself with, to make non-effective the preparations of belladonna,
aconite, parsley, and other ingredients she had swallowed, and to
render of no effect the charmed cocks' combs and rams' kidneys
partaken of by her.
John Kinnaird, a witch-finder, some hundreds of years past, brought
many witches to justice in his time. In 1649 he pricked Patrick
Watson, of West Fenton, and Minie Haliburton his wife, and found the
devil's mark on the husband's back, and the same evil one's impress on
the wife's neck. Though the operator thrust his sharp instrument deep
into the spots, no pain was felt, nor did blood flow. These results
proved that the accused husband and wife were in league with Satan;
and Minie, seeing it was useless to deny her guilt, admitted the
crime.
Under judicial examination, witches have confessed to having met the
devil at his Sabbaths, the meetings always taking place near a cross
road, upon a dreary moor, or beside a lake or stagnant pool, on
Wednesday and Friday nights. At the meetings children were presented,
so they said, to Satan. At these gatherings sorcerers were supplied
with exquisite meat and drink, served in vessels of gold and silver;
and at other times with cooked toads, unbaptised children, and the
flesh of malefactors cut down from gibbets. Toads, having the rank of
witches' familiars, appeared at the meetings, dressed in gay attire,
and wearing small silver bells round their necks, or attached to their
feet. At cock-crow Satan disappeared under the earth, and the witches
flew through the air to their respective homes. That witches could
transform themselves into hares, wolves, and other animals, nearly all
the accused women readily admitted.
In the year 1728 a witch-finder discovered that a stout tall woman,
suspected of sorcery, did not weigh more than four ounces. This was
enough to make out a case against her; and not only against her, but
against several confederates, and they were all burned in terms of
law.
On account of a petition presented by the inhabitants of Newcastle to
the authorities, in the year 1649, concerning the evil consequences
of witchcraft, the magistrates sent two of their officers to Scotland
to secure the services of a celebrated witch-finder, famous for
detecting witches by means of pricking them with sharp instruments.
The cunning man agreed to go with them to Newcastle to try such
suspected persons as might be brought to him, at the rate of twenty
shillings for every woman found guilty. When the officers brought the
witch-finder to town, the magistrates sent their bellman through the
streets to invite the inhabitants who had complaints to make against
witches to make them without delay, that they (the witches) might be
tried by the person appointed. Thirty women were brought to the town
hall, and had pins thrust into their flesh, and most of them were
found guilty. The witch-finder informed Lieutenant-Colonel Hobson that
he knew whether women were witches or no by their looks. On a
good-looking woman being brought to the finder, the gallant colonel
thought it was unnecessary to try her, but the canny Scotchman knew
better, and therefore submitted her to his infallible test. Having put
a pin into her side, he marked her down a witch of the devil. The
colonel, not satisfied that the woman was guilty, remonstrated, and
then the witch-finder confessed he was in error. The highly-favoured
damsel was therefore liberated; but as no champion appeared for the
poor old withered hags, they suffered the pains of law.
Having rid Newcastle of witches, the witch-finder was summoned to
Northumberland county to try women there for sixty shillings each. For
some fault or crime connected with the discharge of his official
duties, he was apprehended, and put under bond to appear at the
sessions to answer such charges as might be brought against him. He
escaped to Scotland, where he was made prisoner, indicted, and
condemned for villany, exercised on the north side of the Tweed, in
connection with witch-finding. He confessed that he had been
instrumental in bringing to an untimely end above two hundred and
twenty women in England and Scotland.
Matthew Hopkins, who regularly went on circuit in England to detect
witches for a long period subsequent to the year 1644, applied the
usual tests, such as finding witch-marks, thrusting sharp instruments
into the bodies of suspected persons, dragging them through deep water
while they were wrapped in sheets, with their great toes and thumbs
tied together, keeping his victims awake sometimes as long as
forty-eight hours to make them confess, ascertaining whether they
could repeat the Lord's Prayer, or shed tears.
The clergy of Scotland lent themselves to witch-finding with a zeal
truly marvellous. They, in General Assembly, passed five condemnatory
acts against witchcraft between the years 1640 and 1649. Kirk-sessions
throughout the land outvied each other in their efforts to bring
suspected witches to trial, and to counteract the dark deeds of Satan.
The Rev. John Scott, one of the Established Church ministers of Perth
from 1762 to 1806, author of the _History of the Earls of Gowrie_ and
other works, left several folio manuscript volumes of extracts from
the kirk-session records of Perth; and from these we make the
following abbreviated selections in support of what is here stated:--
"On 16th April 1582 the kirk-session (which for some
time was designated the 'Assembly') ordained their
box-master to give the witch in the Tolbooth eight
doits (eight twelfths of a penny sterling) in the
day."
"In November 1589 a day was assigned to certain honest
neighbours of Tirseppie to be present and to declare
whether it was true that Guddal, spouse to Richard
Watson, was a witch, as John Watson alleged, or what
evil likelihood they saw in her. Walter Watson, John
Watson, George Scott, and James Scott, on being
severally examined by the kirk-session, declared that
they never saw such things of her whereby they might
suspect her of witchcraft, but that she was an honest
poor woman, who wrought honestly for her living,
without whose help her husband, Richard Watson, would
have been dead, as he was an aged man. Therefore the
minister and elders ordained the act of slander to be
put in execution against John Watson, and Helen Watson
his daughter."
"In November 1597 the kirk-session ordained the
magistrates of Perth to travel with his Majesty to
obtain a commission to execute Janet Robertson,
sorceress, who had long been detained in ward."
"The kirk-session, on 30th May 1615, requested the
bailies to ward Marion Murdoch, complained upon for
witchcraft, ay and until she was tried thereanent."
"On the 4th day of May 1618, conform to citation,
Isabella Garry, servitrix, and Margaret Lamb,
daughter-in-law to George Thompson, appeared before
the session, and were asked if they had been at the
well in the bank of Huntingtower the previous Sabbath,
and if they drank thereof, and if they had left
anything at it. They answered that they had been at it
and drank thereof, and that each of them had left a
pin thereat. This was found to be a point of idolatry.
Their case was continued until some other young women,
who were with them, should be summoned to appear
before the church court." [Though it does not clearly
appear what object the young women had in view in
drinking the Huntingtower well water, and putting pins
therein, we presume they simply did what maidens of
the present time do, namely, go to a spring supposed
to possess peculiar charms (as the Ruthven or
Huntingtower well was believed to have), drink of its
water, and each throw a pin into the well, under the
conviction that every one would get the wish uppermost
in her heart fulfilled--generally the securing of a
husband before the year was ended.]
"On the 3rd August 1619, Alexander Peebles, a burgess
of Perth, appeared before the session, and took
exception to the doctrine delivered by Mr. John
Guthrie, minister, on the previous Sabbath afternoon;
and alleged that the minister had slandered him and
his house by accusing him of sorcery, and turning the
riddle. The minister and session certified in one
voice that the doctrine was general, and necessarily
followed on the text from which Mr. Guthrie was
preaching. Peebles would have been censured had not
Mr. Guthrie interceded for him. Mr. Guthrie, however,
brought upon himself further annoyance, in consequence
of accusing other members of his congregation of
witchcraft and sorcery. On the 13th of the next month
Mr. Guthrie complained to his session, of Thomas Young
uttering speeches against him and his ministry, and of
refusing to discharge the civil duty of saluting him
when they met on the causeway. The members of session
were highly offended that any member of the church
should have so far misregarded his pastor and provoked
him to ire, and therefore ordered him to be cited to
appear before them the following day. Conform to
citation, Thomas Young appeared, who being accused of
uttering speeches against and misbehaving himself
towards Mr. Guthrie, the delinquent boldly answered
that it was not the duty of the pastor to charge his
people with witchcraft, sorcery, and turning of the
riddle. Witnesses were examined against Thomas, who,
before the court rose, confessed his error, and said
he was extremely sorry for offending his minister in
word or deed. Mr. Guthrie then admonished Thomas, and
craved the magistrates (who were present) and the
session to inflict no punishment on the said Thomas,
but to pass over his offences--a request that was
granted."
"On 10th May 1626 Bessie Wright was accused before the
presbytery of Perth of witchcraft, curing sick folks,
and frequenting the town of Perth after having been
banished from the burgh, and forbidden to exercise her
healing art. The moderator and brethren ordained that
she should be prohibited from performing any cure,
under pain of incarceration. It was likewise ordained
that the minister of Perth should make intimation on
the following Sabbath, that because the said Bessie
was under suspicion of witchcraft in curing diseased
persons by unlawful means, none would resort to her
for advice, under pain of the kirk's censures."
"Conform to citation, Robert Thomson, maltman,
compeared before the kirk-session on 30th December
1634, for causing a bairn of his to be taken to the
mill of Balhousie and put into the flappers thereof,
when the mill was going, to be charmed, which, it was
alleged, was a lesson of Satan. He answered that he
knew not of the circumstance until the child was
brought home." [The offence being considered an odious
one, the session resolved to take the advice of the
presbytery how to proceed, but we are not informed how
the matter terminated.]
Lilias Adie, a Fife witch, obtained power from Satan to assist her and
her friends, and to ruin her enemies. Like many other witches, she
regularly attended the witch Sabbaths. How long she might have
remained alive to strike terror into the hearts of the Torryburn
people, none can tell, had not their worthy pastor, the Rev. Allan
Logan, come to the rescue. Mr. Logan, report says, knew as well as any
living man how to detect a witch. When "fencing" the sacramental
table, he would look around him with his keen piercing eye, and call
aloud, "You witch, begone from the holy communion table." The
searching look and commanding voice made more than one woman retire
from among the worthy communicants. Mr. Logan was well supported by a
zealous kirk-session. This being so, Lilias Adie had little chance of
escape. She and other suspected witches were submitted to a series of
examinations and tests, which ended in her being burned within the
sea-mark on the Fife coast.
From the ancient records of the kirk-session of Kirkcaldy, it seems
that numerous reputed witches were burned in that town in the
seventeenth century. In the year 1633 two witches were burned; the
cost of their execution, including the price of tar barrels, and tow
for tying the unfortunate beings at the stake, amounted to L2, 17s.
6d. Scots. One half of the sum was borne by the kirk-session, and the
other half by the town. In the year 1649 a woman was burned on the
estate of Burncastle, and the cost of watching her thirty days and of
supplying fuel amounted to L92, 14s. Scots, a goodly sum in those
days; but as L27, found in the possession of the reputed witch, was
taken to assist in defraying the expenses of her judicial murder, the
burden did not fall very heavy, after all, on the public.