Why persecutions were widespread in the years to 1597
Judicial procedures
81 year hold husband was tortured with iron bars and son was tortured with boots and daughter was tortured with thumb screws
She was executed despite recanting the confession made under torture - this is why Privy Council reduced commissions after 1597
1595 - Alison Balfour is tortured for 2 days without a warrant - accused of being hired bu Patrick Stewart to poison his brother
1596 - James proclaimed all requests for commissions into cases should be submitted to the Privy Council - they have a commission to Sir William Steward to investigate accusations of sorcery and witchcraft in the Highlands and Islands region
1592 - commissions were given by the king to nobles and magistrates for the investigation and trial of witches
October 1591 - 5 judges are named on the commission and were given commission to torture
Julian Goodare has questioned if a formal commission into witchcraft existed at all between 1597 as he argues the procedures did not change
Historians like Jenny Wormald believes the commission began in 1592
Miscarriages of justices caused it to be revoked
General commission (1591-97) for trying witches was established in the closing stages of the NB panic
Witch-hunt of 1597
At a time of poor harvest and widespread plague and disease - ideal conditions for witch-hunts
Judicial procedures increased executions - under instruction of local officials who relied on disgruntled local witnesses
The hunt was not documented by the government - trials carried out at local level
Margaret Aitken was arrested in April and identified witches after interrogation from James
Hunt was over in October but it spread to Fife, Perthshire and Stirlingshire which led to 400 accusations
She was accused of raising storms and causing injury and death to victims - executed with her accomplices
March 1597 a large trial took place in Aberdeen against Janet Wishart
Lack of a strong central government
Bothwell was a threat when there was limited central control
In these areas trials took place on estates of landowners and reports were sent back to Privy Council but these were limited
Difficult for the government to maintain control over judicial proceedings from Edinburgh and in the Highlands and Islands
Trials were carried out by local officials - not instructions from the government on how to carry them out
Extreme Presbyterians in the kirk thought he wasn't appointed by god - James was a firm believer in Divine Right of Kings
Between 1585-92 there was peace but in 1596 they were in open conflict
Kirk vested interest in ensuring James failed
James had problems maintain control - grew dissatisfied with the Kirk for not doing enough about witchraft
This is because if James did not have an heir, Bothwell could claim the throne
Role of James and Daemonologie (1597)
Overall message was that witches exist and if people deny this - they've been led astray
Daemologie was at least a reaction to the trials of 1590-91
Women were vulnerable to deceptions of the devil - they are easily led astray since Eve was deceived by God in the Garden of Eden
The fact it was published 1597 suggests it could be an immediate reaction to the trials
Demonic possession and claimed that it consisted of fasting and prayer
James role could be a sceptic as he was content to pass on responsibility for dealing with witchcraft - church had a system to deal with witchcraft accusations until 1597
Swimming test - used once during the panic of 1597
James interrogated witches personally in 1597 and Sterlingshire
Devils mark by renouncing their baptism - led to widespread searching of witches in 17th century
September 1597 - ordered magistrates' of Stirling to send suspect to him who had their skin pricked
Provided a guide to find witches
Heron was subject to prosecution for witchcraft from Menteith - case was close to being quashed but was reignited in a letter from James
Explained that they gathered at covens and renounced Christian baptism
Miscarriages of justice in 1597 affected James and affected James - became sceptical of witchcraft
Described practices - ceremonies and pact with the devil
More concerned with dealing with fraudulent witches then those using supernatural powers
Attempted to prove necromancers and witches - associated with the Devil
Wrote a letter to his son Prince Henry and congratulated him on uncovering a false witch
Said Devil is extremely powerful and a danger on earth
Reminded Henry that people who think miracles or mystic occurrences are illusions and accusations involving this should be treated with caution
Reginald Scot's sceptical work caused James to clarify his stance
Published the year after the witch-hunt - presented as a dialogue between Philomathes and Epistemon