Victims of Superstition--History of Lady Glammis--Her
Trial for causing the Death of her Husband and
attempting to poison the King--Found Guilty, and
Burned--Lady Fowlis an intended Victim--Hector Munro
tried for Sorcery--Making an Image of the young Lady
of Balnagowan--Elf Arrows--Consulting Egyptians--Trial
and Acquittal of Lady Fowlis--Her Accomplices not so
Fortunate--Hector Munro's connection with
Witches--Charge against Sir John Colquhoun and Thomas
Carlips for consulting with Necromancers--Love
Philters and Enchanted Tokens--Eloping with a
Sister-in-law--Bewitching Sir George Maxwell--A Dumb
Girl detecting Witches--Witch-marks discovered before
the Sheriff of Renfrewshire--Strange
Confessions--Commission appointed by the Privy Council
to try Witches--Witches ordered to be Burned--Alison
Pearson's Intercourse with Fairies--Another Witch
Story.
After witchcraft became unpopular, persons of youth, beauty, and rank,
as well as people of old age, poverty, and deformity, often fell
victims to superstition. The history of Lady Glammis is a painful one,
exhibiting the gross darkness and ferocity of her time. Being
beautiful, and in good position, her hand was sought by noblemen whose
name and fame did, in some respects, honour to their country. As Lady
Glammis could have only one husband at a time, she was compelled to
reject proposals made to her by members of first-class families--a
necessity that was not looked at in its proper light; for her
refusals, both when she was a maid and widow, to enter into
matrimonial alliance with the heads of noble houses, raised formidable
enemies against her. Her influence at court was great; but this did
not save her from being accused of witchcraft. The fair popular lady
was tried in a criminal court for procuring the death of her husband
by intoxication, or unholy drugging; for a design to poison the king;
and for notorious witchcraft. She was found guilty, and burned.
Lady Fowlis was another intended noble victim. She and her step-son,
Hector Munro, were tried, in 1590, for witchcraft, incantation,
sorcery, and poisoning. The charges against the lady were the
diabolical acts of making two images of clay, the one representing the
young lady of Balnagowan, and the other personating Robert Munro (both
of whom, it was alleged, stood in her way of advancement in life),
which figures two notorious witches put up in a room, and shot at with
elf arrows. As these operations did not terminate the existence of the
intended victims, an attempt was made to poison them; but for a time
this also proved unsuccessful. At length the young lady of Balnagowan
tasted her sister-in-law's infernal potion, whereby she contracted an
incurable disease. Disappointed at the draught not immediately proving
fatal, Lady Fowlis sent far and wide for gipsies and witches, to
consult with them as to what was best to be done. More clay images
were made, and shot at with elf arrows. She was tried by a jury,
composed chiefly of the Fowlis dependants, who acquitted her.
Several of her witch accomplices were not so fortunate; they suffered
the extreme penalty of the law. It was proved on trial, that Hector
Munro had communed with three witches, in 1588, for the recovery of
his eldest brother, Robert, who was dangerously ill. The witches
"pollit the hair of Robert Munro, and plet the naillis of his fingers
and taes;" but the charms were ineffectual, and Robert died. Hector,
the panel, was unwell, and pronounced by women of skill to be
incurable unless the chief man of his blood, George Munro of Abisdale,
Lady Catherine's eldest son, should die for him. All things being
ready, George was sent for to see his sick friend. When he came, a
spell was applied, according to the directions of his foster-mother
and certain witches. A grave was made between two manors, and at night
the sick man was laid in the grave, where he rested until one of the
witches consulted the devil as to what should be done next. The
invalid was covered over with turf, while another witch, with a young
boy in her hand, ran the breadth of nine rigs, coming back to the
grave and asking who was her choice? The response came that Hector was
to live and George to die for him. The ceremony being gone through
three times, all the parties present, except the devil in bodily
shape, returned home. Hector, like his step-mother, escaped
punishment, though the evidence against him was lengthy and weighty.
In 1633 Sir John Colquhoun of Luss, and Thomas Carlips, a German
servant in his employment, were charged with consulting necromancers
and sorcerers, and with incest, contrary to the Act of Parliament 9
Queen Mary, and of an Act of James VI. Colquhoun was married to Lady
Lilias Grahame, the Earl of Montrose's eldest daughter. The Earl being
dead, Lady Colquhoun brought home Lady Catherine, her second sister (a
beautiful young woman), to reside with her and Sir John. Colquhoun,
fascinated with his sister-in-law's charms, made love to her, but,
meeting with no encouragement from the young lady, he consulted with
Carlips (a necromancer) and with several witches and sorcerers as to
the best way of making her return his affection. They gave her
philters and enchanted love tokens, including a jewel of gold set with
rubies and diamonds. The enchanted jewel proved effectual: Lady
Catherine's scruples were overcome, and she and Sir John eloped,
making their way to London, whither they were accompanied by Carlips.
Sir John and Carlips, though indicted, failed to answer the charge,
and they were therefore declared rebels, and "put to the horn."
A singular account is given of the bewitching of Sir George Maxwell,
who died in 1677. The story is founded on information supplied by his
son. It appears that Sir George Maxwell, being in Glasgow on the 14th
October 1676, was suddenly seized at night with a hot and fiery
disease. He hastened home, fearing the worst; and it was well he did
so, for he was long confined to bed of a painful disorder, that would
not yield to his skilful physician's treatment. It happened about this
time that a young dumb girl, a stranger, appeared in Polloktown. She
came occasionally to Sir George's house, soliciting assistance.
Observing the gentleman's state, she seemed much troubled, and, by
signs, signified to his daughters that a woman had pricked Sir
George's sides. The girl subsequently pointed out Janet Mathie as the
person who had done the mischief. As suggested by the girl, Mathie's
house was searched for a wax image, supposed to have been used as an
instrument to torture the unfortunate gentleman. True enough, a wax
image was found, with two pins stuck in it. Mathie was therefore
apprehended, and committed to prison. In presence of the Sheriff of
Renfrewshire, she was searched for insensible marks by competent
inspectors, who found many devil's marks.
Sir George recovered slightly, but on the 4th January he became so
poorly that his friends despaired of his life. Meantime, again acting
on the dumb girl's suggestion, the house in which John Stewart (Janet
Mathie's eldest son) resided was searched, and a clay image, having
three pins stuck in it, lay in the bed where he slept. Stewart, and
one of his little sisters, aged fourteen years, were instantly
arrested. Being pressed to tell the truth, the girl apprehended told
that the image had been made by her brother, Bessie Weir, Margery
Craig, and Margaret Jackson, in presence of a black man, whom she
understood to be the devil. Sir George, curiously enough, recovered
after the second discovery of an image, the same as he had done at the
finding of the former figure. John Stewart remained obstinate until
his body was searched for insensible marks. These being discovered in
great numbers, so confounded the man that he admitted his compact
with Satan. In a judicial declaration he confessed his accomplices
were his sister and the other women named. On further examination the
girl admitted that she, as well as her mother and brother, had a
paction with Satan.
Lord Ross and the Earl of Dundonald granted a warrant for the
apprehension of Bessie Weir, Margaret Jackson, and Margery Craig.
Margaret Jackson, who had reached the age of eighty years, like her
accomplices, had many devil's marks on her person. She confessed being
accessory to the making of images, with the intention of depriving Sir
George Maxwell of life.
On the 17th January a third image was found under Janet Mathie's
prison bed in Paisley, concerning which the dumb girl had given
information; but it appeared to be the picture of a woman. The
supposition seemed to be that it represented a lady belonging to the
Pollok family; for against the whole household Mathie had taken an
inveterate grudge.
The Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council, being informed of what had
been done, granted a commission to Sir Patrick Gauston of Gauston,
James Brisbane of Bishopton, Sir John Shaw, younger, of Greenock, John
Anderson, younger, of Dovehill, and John Preston, advocate, with Lord
George Ross as assessor, to try the persons in custody. The Commission
held its first court in Paisley on 27th January 1677. Annabil Stewart,
the girl of fourteen years, when brought before the court for the
crime of witchcraft, stated that, in the previous harvest, the devil,
like a black man, came to her mother's house and requested the
declarant to give herself up to him, under pretence that if she did so
she would never want. Enticed by her mother and Bessie Weir, she put
her hand to the crown of her head, and the other to the sole of her
foot, and swore that she yielded herself up to his Satanic majesty.
She declared that she had a spirit that attended her, known to herself
and the other witches by the name of Enippa. Declared further, that
all the other witches had wicked spirits that assisted them in their
evil deeds. She told who were present when the several images were
made. One of the figures was put on a spit, and turned before the
fire. As it went round, each and all of them kept repeating Sir George
Maxwell, Sir George Maxwell. One night, she said, she saw her brother
John Stewart with a black man with cloven feet.
In a second declaration John Stewart confessed that he, Bessie Weir,
Margaret Jackson, and Margery Craig had a meeting with the devil on
the night of 3rd January, when he, at the request of Satan, renounced
his baptism. He was induced, he said, to do this, by the devil
promising that he should not want any pleasure, or fail to see revenge
on those who did him wrong. That evening, effigies of clay were made
for taking away the life of Sir George Maxwell. John observed, when
the devil was moulding the image, that his hands were bluish, and that
there were handcuffs on his wrists.
Margaret Jackson, in her confession, admitted she was present at the
making of an effigy and of a picture formed in Janet Mathie's house,
and that they were made as instruments for taking away Sir George
Maxwell's life. Admitted further, that, forty years before her
apprehension, she had given herself from the crown of the head to the
sole of the feet to the devil. These declarations were subscribed by
Robert Park, notary-public.
All the accused persons, except Annabil, were found guilty, and
ordered, together with effigies they had prepared for Sir George's
destruction, to be burned. Annabil seriously admonished her mother to
confess before she suffered; but nothing, we are informed, would move
the obdurate and hardened old witch--so she perished, denying her
guilt.
In the case of Alison Pearson, who suffered for witchcraft in
Scotland in 1586, several strange revelations were made. She had had a
stroke of paralysis, which so affected her that at times she suffered
severely. She was a reputed witch, averred to have done serious
mischief to her neighbours. For this reason, she was indicted for
holding communication with demons. She admitted having intercourse
with the Queen of Elfland and the good neighbours. When she fell into
a trance, which happened often, she saw her cousin, William Sympsoune,
of Stirling (who had been conveyed away to the hills by the fairies),
from whom she received a salve that could cure every disease; and from
this ointment the Archbishop of St. Andrews confessed he derived
benefit. In an indictment framed against her, it was set forth that
she, being in Grangemuir, lay down sick, and that there came a man to
her, clad in green, who said, if she would be faithful to him, he
would do her much good; but she, being afraid, cried out, and he went
away; that he appeared to her another time, accompanied by many men
and women, making merry with good cheer and music; that she was
carried away by them; and that, when she revealed anything, one of the
folk chastised her so unmercifully as to leave ugly marks and take
away the power from one of her sides. In her declaration she stated
she saw the good neighbours (fairies) making their salves, with pans
and fires, from herbs gathered under certain planets, and on
particular days before the sun rose. Among other revelations, she
stated that her cousin, William Sympsoune, appeared to her in the
shape of a fairy, and bade her sign herself with the cross, to prevent
her being carried to Elfland; for it was dangerous to go there, as
one-tenth of the witches were annually conveyed thence to the place of
everlasting torment.
Another witch story. One night a gentleman in the west, riding home,
was suddenly stopped by an unseen hand seizing his horse's bridle
rein. Having a sword, he first struck at one side of his horse's
head, and then at the other. The animal, now unrestrained, galloped
home, when, on putting the horse into the stable, the gentleman found
a hand cut off at the wrist, hanging to the bridle reins. Suspecting
he had been waylaid by Janet Wood (a reputed witch in the
neighbourhood), he called on her next day, and found her in bed. She
complained of being ill. After conversing with her for a short time,
he rose to take his leave, and held out his hand to shake hands with
her. She offered him her left hand; but he refused to take it, saying
it was unfriendly to use the left hand for such a friendly purpose.
After a good deal of hesitation, she admitted that she had lost her
right hand in an encounter she had the previous night when out on
witch business. The gentleman produced the hand, and, on it being
compared with her stump, it fitted exactly. The question then came to
be, how the stroke took effect, for no ordinary sword could have
injured the witch; and it turned out that it had been charmed by the
owner's grandmother, a sensible old woman.