Hiring a Witch to detect a Witch--Clerical
Witch-finders--Agnew, the sturdy Beggar--His
Diabolical Doings--Missiles thrown by Unseen
Hands--Working Instruments destroyed--A Distressed
Family--Minister's Remonstrance and Advice--Fresh
Afflictions--House set on Fire--Prayer and Fasting
resorted to--Meeting of Presbytery for Prayer on
account of the Evil Doings of Satan and his Wicked
Emissaries--Spirits Speaking--Minister's Reply--Fiend
not put to Silence by Prayer--Application to the Synod
for Advice--Solemn Humiliation ordained by the
Synod--Annoyance continued--Beggar suspected, and
hanged for Blasphemy--Bargarran Witches--An Esquire's
Daughter bewitched--Physicians puzzled--Great
Consternation in the Country--Parish Minister praying
for the Afflicted Child--Other Ministers' Visits to
Bargarran--Presbytery ordering Days of
Humiliation--Effect of Fasting and Prayer--Recourse to
the Law--Catherine Campbell imprisoned--Girl's
continued Affliction--Representation to His Majesty's
Privy Council--Commission appointed to inquire into
the case--Proceedings of the Commission--Trial of
Witches--Specious Pleading--Condemnation and
Execution.
In the middle of the seventeenth century the mania against witches and
warlocks became so prevalent, that almost every individual was
affected therewith. If a child was sick, if a family became
unfortunate, if cattle died, if boats were upset or ships lost, or if
accidents of any description, even to the breaking of a plough,
happened, the evils were attributed to witches or warlocks. If in any
such misfortune the assistance of a professional witch-finder could
not be secured, one witch was hired to detect the other witch, or more
probably the gang of witches, who had occasioned the mischief. Again,
in the event of the hired witch (it was seldom the professional
witch-finder, provided with his instruments of torture, failed) not
succeeding, the clergyman's assistance was sought; and if the witches
and devil proved too many or strong for him, the presbytery, synod,
and even the assembly, had to be appealed to. The following is a case
in point:--
In October 1654 Alexander Agnew, a sturdy beggar, threatened hurt to
Gilbert Campbell's household because he did not receive so good an
alms as he demanded. The vagabond, by diabolical means, brought about
a variety of annoyances and losses that came nigh to ruin the family.
Gilbert Campbell was often hindered in business, through his working
instruments being destroyed in a way he could not account for. In
November, matters became extremely dangerous. At that time the devil,
we are informed, came with new and extraordinary assaults, by throwing
stones in through the doors and windows and chimney-head of this
devil-besetted dwelling. Providentially no one was injured in person.
Next, chests and trunks were opened, and the contents thrown about in
all directions. Working implements were secretly carried away, and
concealed in holes or other places where they were not likely to be
found. Wearing apparel, blankets, sheets, curtains, and other soft
goods were cut in pieces. To so great a strait was the family reduced,
that the members thereof were compelled to leave their house. Nor was
this all: Campbell himself was forced to abandon his employment.
The minister, hearing that the house was shut up, remonstrated against
such a proceeding. He recommended that the devil should be withstood
to the face. Acting on the good clergyman's advice, all the members of
that afflicted household returned. Fresh disturbances broke out. The
house was set on fire, and would have been reduced to ashes had not
willing neighbours extinguished the flames. As the evil went on,
prayer and fasting were resorted to, apparently unmixed with faith,
for again the house was set on fire. The presbytery met at the house
for solemn devotion, but their prayers were as ineffectual as those of
the people who had conducted the religious services on previous
occasions. Indeed things became worse. Not only were petty acts of
mischief perpetrated, but strange voices were heard, without it being
known whence they proceeded. The minister, accompanied by gentlemen of
good position, went again to the house to pray with and for Mr.
Campbell and his family. After prayer, they all heard a voice speaking
out of the ground, asking if they desired to know anything of certain
witches who were named. Gilbert Campbell informed the company that one
of the witches mentioned was dead. The devil then answered, "It is
true she is dead, yet her spirit is living in this world." The
minister replied, "We are not to receive any information from thee,
Satan; thou art but seeking to seduce this family."
All the people went again to pray, still the devil was not put to
silence; the foul fiend demanded a spade to dig a grave, in which he
might rest in peace. Advised by the clergyman, Mr. Campbell answered,
"Not so much as a straw shall be given thee, though that would put
thee to rest." A loud noise was heard, and a naked hand and an arm
from the elbow were seen beating on the floor so terribly that the
house shook, during which the voice called several times, "I will send
my father among you." Night being now far spent, all the strangers
went home except the minister, who stayed with the family to protect
them. Notwithstanding his presence, and many prayers, the devil roared
frightfully, his voice sounding like that of a lion. The very food the
family partook of was bewitched: it did not supply them with
nourishment, nor satisfy their hunger, even for a moment.
Mr. Campbell resolved to apply to the synod for advice as to whether
he should remain in his house. When the subject came before that
reverend body, the fathers and brethren thought fit to ordain a solemn
humiliation to be observed through all the synodic bounds, with the
view of turning away the affliction that distressed the poor family.
Notwithstanding everything that could be done, the annoyance continued
for a whole year. It was never discovered who was the instigator of
the mischief, although strong suspicion rested on the sturdy beggar,
who, we may observe in conclusion, was hanged, some time afterwards,
for blasphemy.
Tales of the Bargarran witches are widely known in Scotland. In their
time they created no small stir and alarm among laymen, in the church,
and at the law courts. In the year 1696, Christina Shaw, eleven years
of age, daughter of John Shaw, Esquire, of Bargarran, Renfrewshire,
gave offence to a servant maid named Catherine Campbell, who wished
the girl's soul might soon be in the place of torment. It was feared
the offended damsel would seek revenge, and what followed convinced
those cognisant of the facts that their fears were well founded.
Soon after this the girl had severe fits and strange visions; and, in
a most unaccountable manner, she vomited or put out of her mouth
unclean hay, wild fowls' feathers, gravel stones, nut-galls,
candle-grease, egg-shells, and other substances, which she nor any
other person could tell whence they had come. For a long time she was
afflicted in a most mysterious manner. Her parents were distressed,
and her physicians perplexed. Change of air did her good, but as
soon as she returned to Bargarran her trouble recommenced. By-and-bye
it became evident her affliction did not proceed from ordinary
infirmity, but from the diabolical machinations of Satan and his
emissaries--certain well-known witches in the neighbourhood, one being
the offended Catherine Campbell. So convinced was the unfortunate
sufferer of her ills being caused by human beings acting in a
mysterious manner, that she frequently exclaimed that Catherine
Campbell and others, whom she named, were cutting her sides and other
parts of her body.
Great consternation prevailed in the country. The parish minister,
like a good pious pastor, prayed with and for the child. Clergymen
from adjoining parishes visited Bargarran, and witnessed Catherine
Shaw's sufferings. The presbytery appointed days of humiliation on
account of what left no doubt in the minds of divines that the girl
was bewitched. Fasting and prayer seemed to have an alleviating
tendency, yet they did not prevent the evil continuing in a mitigated
form. Recourse was therefore had to the law. Mr. Shaw, the girl's
father, applied to the sheriff-depute; and that officer, in what he
considered a proper discharge of his duty, imprisoned Catherine
Campbell.
This judicial proceeding had the effect of securing relief for the
afflicted girl for a time, but her enemies were not all confined nor
rendered harmless, for she declared she heard now and again
tormentors, whom she repeatedly named, whispering among themselves
that they were, by desire of the devil, to carry her away. And it was
supposed she would have been conveyed away from her friends, had not
the minister prayed for her at the time the witches were about to
carry their diabolical intentions into operation.
The lamentable case of the afflicted family being represented to his
Majesty's Privy Council, a commission was, worthily and piously it is
said, appointed to inquire into the case. By warrant of this
commission, certain suspected persons were apprehended. Alexander
Anderson, represented as an ignorant irreligious fellow; Elizabeth
Anderson, his daughter; and Jean Fulton, grandmother of the said
Elizabeth Anderson, were secured. Elizabeth Anderson, on being
severely interrogated, declared she had frequently seen the devil, in
the likeness of a little black man, in the company of her grandmother.
She also confessed that she herself had been at several meetings with
the devil and witches; and she declared her father and a Highlandman
in the neighbourhood, along with others, were active agents in
tormenting Christina Shaw.
A quorum of the commissioners met at Bargarran; and the persons
accused by Elizabeth Anderson to have been at the meetings with the
devil, and to have been active instruments of Christina Shaw's
trouble--viz. Alexander Anderson, Agnes Naismith, Margaret Fulton,
James Lindsay, John Lindsay, and Catherine Campbell--were (except John
Lindsay, not then in custody) confronted with the afflicted damsel
before Lord Blantyre and other commissioners, together with ministers
of the gospel and non-clerical gentlemen of note, and charged by her
as her tormentors; and they (the persons in custody) having severally
touched her, she was at each of their touches seized with grievous
fits.
About this time Thomas Lindsay, a boy twelve years of age, was
apprehended on presumption of complicity in witchcraft, he having
said, before credible witnesses, that the devil was his father, and
that if he pleased he could fly like a crow. Sometimes, he said, he
could cause a plough to stand, and the horses break the yoke, on his
pronouncing a few strange words and turning himself withershinns.
Though at first he denied his guilt, yet he afterwards confessed he
had a compact with the devil, and that he had been at several meetings
with Satan and witches. His brother James, he said, was also present.
James Lindsay was therefore apprehended, and identified by Christina
Shaw as one of her tormentors. He too confessed to be guilty of
Satanic acts.
Next day Margaret Lang, and her daughter Martha Semple, being accused
by Christina Shaw of having been also active in tormenting her, came
of their own accord to Bargarran House, and before they approached the
girl she said she was now bound up, and could not accuse Margaret Lang
to her face. Subsequently she named Lang and her daughter as two of
her tormentors.
The commissioners had several conferences, and in their presence many
suspected witches were shown to the girl at Bargarran. At these
conferences strange things transpired, all tending to prove a most
diabolical plot to punish the girl for her insult to Catherine
Campbell. This was not all: the inquiry brought to light various other
acts of witchcraft, mischief, and even murder, perpetrated by the
devil and those in league with him. In due course the suspected
persons were arraigned before the judges and jury; and able arguments,
according to the light of those times, were entered into. An outline
of the specious pleading of the advocate who conducted the prosecution
is given, as an example of the manner in which convictions against
suspected witches were obtained two hundred years ago.
"Good men of inquest," he said, "you having sitten
above twenty hours in overhearing the probation, we
shall not detain you with summing up in particular,
but shall only suggest some things, whereof it is fit
you take special notice. 1st, The nature of your own
power, and the management thereof. 2dly, The object of
this power which lies before you, wherein you are to
consider, in the first place, whether or not there has
been witchcraft in the malefices libelled? and, in the
next case, whether or not these panels are the
witches?
"As to your power, it is certain that you are both
judges and witnesses, by the opinion of our lawyers
and custom; therefore you are called out of the
neighbourhood, as presumed best to know the quality of
the panels, and the notoriety of their guilt or
innocence....
"We are not to press you with the ordinary severity of
threatening an assize of error, in case you should
absolve; but wholly leave you to the conduct of God
and your own conscience....
"As to the probation itself, you see that it is
divided in three parts, viz. the extraordinariness of
the malefices; the probability of the concurring
adminicles; and the clearness of the positive
probation.
"As to the first part, the malefices, or _corpora
delicti_, are proven by unexceptionable witnesses to
have fallen out in such an odd and extraordinary
manner, that it points out some other causes than the
ordinary course of nature to have produced these
effects.
"For clearing of this, particularly in relation to the
torments of Bargarran's daughter, you may consider not
only the extraordinary things that could not proceed
from a natural disease, which lie proven before you,
but also several other matters of fact, which is
notour, have been seen by some of yourselves, and lie
here in a journal of her sufferings; every article
whereof is attested by the subscriptions of persons of
entire credit, before the honourable commissioners
appointed by his Majesty's Privy Council, for making
inquiry thereanent.
"This girl's throwing out of hairs, pins, and coals of
greater heat than that of her body or blood; as also
so dry that they appeared not to have come out of her
stomach; nor had she any press of vomiting at the
time; that she declared the same to have been put into
her mouth by her tormentors--is deponed by Dr.
Brisbane, in his opinion, not to proceed from a
natural cause....
"She told that her tormentors were giving her a glass
of sack, an orange peel, etc., and accordingly she was
seen to move her lips, and to have an orange peel
betwixt her teeth, though there was no visible hand
that could have done it.
"She advertised beforehand that one of her tormentors
was to be at the door at a particular hour, and that
another of them was in the kitchen before any did tell
her thereof; which accordingly fell out....
"When her glove fell down from her, at a time when
several persons were about her, it was lifted again by
a hand invisible to them.
"She was not only transported through the hall and
down stairs without perceiving her feet to touch the
ground, but also was hurried in a flight up stairs;
and when a minister endeavoured to retain her, he
found a sensible weight, besides her own strength,
drawing her from him.
"She was most vehemently distorted upon attempting to
tell, or even write, the names of her tormentors....
"She foretold that her tormentors had concerted to
throw her into a fit (whereof they did premonish, of
design to fright her to renounce her baptism by the
terror) at a certain hour, and had left one of their
number to execute it; according whereunto there was a
woman with a red coat seen under a tree in the
orchard, and the torment was brought on at the time
appointed....
"She cried out at a time that her thigh was hurt; and
one of the company having searched her pocket, found a
knife, but unfolded; however, having folded up the
same, and put it in a second time, she cries of new;
and, upon the second search, it (though secured by the
spring) is found open, to the great wonder of
beholders; since they did watch that no visible thing
could have possibly opened it.
"She told of a charm under the bed; and accordingly it
was found in the shape of an egg, which melted away on
being put in the fire....
"The story anent her telling that the commissioners,
though at three miles distance, had granted a warrant
to the sheriff to apprehend one of her tormentors; her
telling so perfect an account of the sheriff and of
Mr. Guthrie, who was with him, while her eyes were
tied and fast; her being in excessive torments (as she
foretold) till that person was apprehended, and
immediately thereupon, though at many miles distance,
her telling that her tormentors were now taken,
betwixt twelve and one o'clock in the morning; and the
sheriff, when he returned, did declare the seizure to
have been made about that time--is so notour, and so
well attested, that we need only to put you in mind
thereof.
"Her falling into fits upon the sight or touch of her
tormentors, was no effect of imagination; for she was
fully hoodwinked with a cloak, so as she saw nobody
whatsoever; yet, upon the approach of her tormentor,
she immediately fell down as dead, whereas she
remained no ways startled upon the touch of any other:
which experiments were tried for ascertaining this
means of discovery.
"Finally, she is naturally sagacious and observant,
and discovered her integrity in face of court.... She
showed her firmness against the temptations of
becoming a witch; particularly against the last
assault of Satan; wherein he persuaded her at least to
go to their meetings, and she answered that she would
not follow such a base fallen creature; and he
rejoining that she would go to hell, however, for her
other sins; and she answering that he was a liar from
the beginning, and the blood of Jesus would cleanse
her from all iniquity: whereupon he disappeared, and
she perfectly recovered upon the Sabbath thereafter;
was a happy end put to this fearful tragedy of
witchcraft, and confirms to conviction the reality of
it.
"As to the murdering of the children, and the minister
libelled: you may observe several extraordinary things
appearing in them; particularly, the witnesses depone,
the minister to have been in excessive torments, and
of an unusual colour, to have been of sound judgment;
and yet he did tell of several women being about him,
and that he heard the noise of the door opening, when
none else did hear it. The children were well at
night, and found dead in the morning, with a little
blood on their noses, and blaes at the roots of their
ears; which were obvious symptoms of strangling....
"The second part of the probation consists of several
adminicles, proven by unsuspected witnesses, which
lead us to suspect those panels to be witches, as so
many lines drawn from a circumference to a centre, and
as an avenue to the positive probation thereafter
adduced; and these either strike at the whole panels
in general, or some of them in particular....
"You see that none of them doth shed tears; nor were
they ever discovered to do it since their
imprisonment, notwithstanding their frequent
howlings....
"In particular, you see how Katharine Campbell was
provoked by this girl's discovering her theft;
whereupon she has brought in the rest of her
confederates to act the mischiefs; how Campbell did
curse and imprecate in a terrible manner; how she
staid out of her bed at night, and was frequently
drowsy in the morning....
"Margaret Lang, that great impostor, has been a great
masterpiece of the devil: she has confessed unnatural
lust, which is known to some of your number; she sat
near the door where the charm of hair was found, which
the girl declared did keep up her tongue; and upon
burning thereof, it was loosed. The girl fell in fits
upon her approach; she has notable marks; particularly
one, which the confessants declared she lately
received; and, by inspection, it appears to be recent.
When she came from her private conversation (no doubt
with the devil) she raged as if she had been
possessed, and could not but declare that she expected
a violent death. She looked in the face of James
Millar's child, and asked her age, whereupon that
child sickened the same night, and named Margaret Lang
on her death-bed. It appears she was ready to show to
Janet Laird a sight of her mother, who had been three
years dead....
"Margaret Fulton was reputed a witch, has the mark of
it, and acknowledged, in presence of her husband, that
she made use of a charm, which appeared full of small
stones and blood; that her husband had brought her
back from the fairies....
"As to the Lindsays, they all have the mark, and were
all of a long time reputed to be witches. John
Lindsay, in Barlock, was accidentally discovered by
the girl's taking a fit upon his coming to the house.
John and James Lindsay were dilated by a confessing
witch in anno 1687, which confession is publicly read
before you, and there was money given to the
sheriff-depute for delaying of the pursuit. James
Lindsay appeared to William Semple suddenly, and flew
about like a fowl for an opportunity to strike him....
"It is true, some of these indications may be in one,
and others of them in another, either from nature or
accident, and yet that person not be a witch; but it
was never heard nor read that all these indications,
which are so many discoveries by providence, of a
crime that might otherwise remain in the dark, did
ever concur in one and the same individual person that
was innocent....
"As to the third part of the probation, we remit the
positive depositions of the confessants, and against
whom they do concur, wholly to your own perusal or
examination; only you would be pleased to notice, 1st,
Something which do very much sustain the credibility
of their testimonies, arising from their examination
in court. 2dly, We shall explain to you the import of
the word _Nota_, which is added to the interlocutor of
the judges admitting these last witnesses.
"First, Elizabeth Anderson is of sufficient age, being
seventeen; but so young and pointed, that her
deposition appears not affected by melancholy: she
accused her father to his face, when he was a-dying in
the prison, as now there are two of her aunts in the
panel, which certainly must proceed from the strength
of truth, since even Dives retained a natural
affection to his relations; she went on foot to the
meetings with her father, except only that the devil
transported them over the water Clyde; which was easy
to the prince of the air, who does far greater things
by his hurricanes....
"James Lindsay, it is true, is of less import; yet, by
his weeping when he came in, and was admonished of the
greatness of his guilt, it appears that he had a sense
of it.... He does not file the panels all at random,
but tells what occurred to his senses.
"Janet and Margaret Rodgers are instances of a
singular providence; for they did confess, the same
morning that the court did last sit, of their own
proper motive, their being neither ministers nor
judges beside them at the time....
"It is true, there are some few of the adminicles that
are proven only by one witness; but as to this you may
consider, 1st, That a witness deponing _de facto
proprio_, is in law more credited than any other
single witness. And this is the present case as to
some of the adminicles. 2dly, The antecedent
concomitant, and subsequent circumstances of fact, do
sustain the testimony and make the _semi-plenary_
probation to become full. But 3dly, The other
adminicles, undoubtedly proven by concurring
witnesses, are _per se_ sufficient; and therefore you
saw us, at the desire of the judges, forbear to call
the far greatest part of our witnesses....
"We shall therefore leave you with this conclusion,
that as you ought to beware of condemning the
innocent, and ought to incline to the safest side; so,
if these panels be proven legally guilty, then _quoad_
bygones, your eye ought not to spare them, nor ought
you to suffer a witch to live; and as to the future,
you in doing otherwise would be accessory to all the
blasphemies, apostasies, murders, tortures, and
seductions whereof these enemies of heaven and earth
shall thereafter be guilty, when they have got out. So
that the question seems simply to come to this,
Whether, upon your oath _de fideli_, you can swear
that the panels, notwithstanding of all that is proven
against them, are not guilty of witchcraft; in the
determination whereof, we pray God may direct you in
the right course."
The jury, after being enclosed nearly six hours, found the libel
proven.
It only remains to be stated that the accused suffered the extreme
penalty of the law, not for crimes committed, but on account of the
superstition and ferocity of the period.