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WITCHCRAFT CASES AND TRIALS - Coggle Diagram
WITCHCRAFT CASES AND TRIALS
NORTH BERWICK WITCH TRAIL 1590
There is a few reason's
Gilly Duncan
Her crimes was healing the disabled --> She had been visiting the sick and making recoveries
She was accused by David Seaton who turnt into her torture - her Boss, whom could possibly having an affair with her, and also she had been reportedly been missing a lot of work .
Her torture was Pilliwinks or Thumb Screws
Also cords around her head - in order to rattle her brain
In her torture Gilly confessed to other witches and caused an catalyst effect
Weak Central Government
Without proper government control and regulations (as James also getting involved in interrogations and tortures) it made torture very susceptible and happened often
James and Danish Influence
Jame make accusations towards Agnes Sampson , who believed to know some private information of the kings wedding night -
But normally many important people are present for that first night --> gossip inevitable
There also had been some accusation that when James went over to get his 13 year old Bride in Denmark, there had been some witchcraft/ Black Arts to create a storm hoping it will sink carrying both James and Anne
Torture
Apparently a large number of Witches traveled to North Berwick to meet at night inside a church, with their meeting prescribed by the Devil himself
AGNES SAMPSON
Old Women
Mid-Wife
Healer
Cunning-women
Said her friendship with Gilly is when she learnt her powers
Accusations :red_flag:
Knowing private information about the King on his Wedding night
Healing the Sick
Sailing across the sea in a sieve
Having a familiar, dog named Elva, to assist her in healing
Part of the organisation of the storm to take down James and Anne -->
Due to the pain she was in with her torture, she confessed to anything
Interrogation methods
Witches Bridle
Cord ties around her limbs and twisted slightly = extreme pain
She was kept awake day and night
Impact of her confessions -->
Confessed to Barbara Napier --> Friend of the Earl of Bothwell
She wrote a letter to him whole he was on trail which was intercepted by the king
Confessed to Richard Graham --> Taken into custody for doing magic
Also knew Bothwell
JOHN FIAN
School Mater
Accusations : :red_flag:
Similar to Sampson
Giving 'the obscene kiss' to the Devil - kissing the devil on his arse when swearing alligence to him
Flying through the air
Attempting to bewitch a women to fall in love with him, and also bewitching a cow which followed him around everywhere as an admirer
Attaching magical candled to his horses, which enabled him to turn night into day
Torture
His head was twisted with ropes
Needles were driven under his fingernails
'Boots' --> Screws for his legs that would tighten bursting his bones
Fian refusal to confess encouraged more torture, as refusal symbolised the Devil entrenching in his soul
He accused Bothwell of being a Witch
Why was he Accused
Easy target for accusation, as a school master he came into contact with many locals
Seems to have conducted affairs with many married women
He was well educated - he knew Greek and Latin - Catholicism written in Latin - work of the Devil
BOTHWELL
Francis Stewart - 5th Earl of Bothwell
ATTEMPTS TO PUNISH BOTHWELL 👑
(April 1591) : Bothwell was summound to the privy council to explain himself. He waited in Edinburgh Castle -->
Until he escaped in June
He went to James in Holyrood Palace to reconcile with James --> But before this James publicly accused Bothwell of being in the league with the devil 👿 -->
Taking away his titles and declaring him an outlaw
Bothwell had a pattern of going into hiding, then turning up to James, to assault him in someway
(June 1592) Bothwell with armed supports forced themselves into the palace, where they failed to capture James and was
arrested and imprisoned.
ADDITIONAL INFLUENCING FACTORS
Being involved in Many plots
Being in a pact with Devil
Political Factor's : Apart from James Bothwell was the only other heir to the throne
BOTHWELL SUGGESTING A SOLUTION
He persuaded James of his innocence
He suggested to go into exile and was forbidden to approach the king
BOTHWELL TRAIL (1593)
He gained alot of political sympathy
He said he has witnesses could testify under torture was Bothwell was not plotting against James -->
Black Mail situation
Rather than being executed he was
exiled
and was forbade from approaching the king
👑👑JAMES VI 👑👑
Mother : Mary Queen of Scots (First Cousins to Elizabeth)
Father : Lord Darnely
Became king at 1 years old
He was a protestant
Married to Anne of Denmark
He had 8 children, only 3 survived - Suspected to be Witch-Craft
Believes in the Divine right of Kings - Assert kings and gods authority, cannot be held accountable for his actions by any earthly authority
DAEMONOLOGIE (1597) 📔
James wrote the book after becoming very interested in Witch-craft, participating with tortures and thus making a handbook for catching Witches
He describes the devil is extremely powerful and a danger to Earth
Suggested the swimming test being an effective way to identify witches
Provides a guide on how to identity witches like the Devil Mark
THE GENERAL COMMISSION (1591-97)
The situation for the trying of Witches has not changed since the Witch-Craft Act Passed in 81563)
(October 1591) - 5 judges named in a commission with no specified subject. They were given Commissions (An instruction or role given to a person or a group)
Commissions were given by the king in (1952) to novels and magistrates for the investigation and trial of Witches
(1596) James said that all request for commission into cases for Witchcraft had to be submitted and discussed by the Privy Council, rather than the king
(1595)
Authorized in Edinburgh tortured a suspect witch
Alison Balfour
for 2 days without a warren from the king
Initially accused of being hired by
Patrick Stewart
to poison his Brother
Her 81 year-old husband was tortured by having iron bars passed through his body
Her son was tortured with 'boots
Her 7 year old daughter was tortured with Thumbscrews
She was executed, although she recounted the confession under torture
THE WITCH-HUNTS OF (1595)
Aberdeen accused a Witch named
Jannet Wishart
Accused of raising storms, as well as causing injuries and death to victims of several accomplices
The hunt was over by October , but it had spread beyond Aberdeen and spread to places like Fife, leading to
400 more accusations
🧙🏻♀️🧙🏻♀️
Many accused by
Margaret Aitken
-->
Who was arrested as a witch in April and agreed to assist the authorities in identifying further offenders
Many interrogations were carried out at a local level, and so not documented in central government of Scotland -->
Weak Central Government
Came at a time of poor harvests and widespread plague and disease
She was accused by one of her accomplies
THE LANCASHIRE WITCHES (1604-13)
7 years after the Gun-powder plot
Held in the context of Anti-Catholic hysteria and suspicion
The clerk of the Court
Thomas Potts
published a detailed record which acts as a primary source
"Wonderful Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancashire
He dedicated his work to Thomas Knyvet - credited with apprehending Guy Fawkes in the Houses of Parliament
PENDLE FOREST 🌲🌳
At their heart was a feud between Neighbors and rival families
Interrogations and trails were of questionable legitimacy
Evidence of pacts with the Devil was sought in all cases
James = King of England following Death of Elizabeth in (1603)
USE OF CHILD WITNESSES
9 year old Jannet Device gave evidence in the (1612) trail -->
Children under 14 were viewed as unreliable witnesses
Her evidence led to 10 executions including her entire family