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Witchcraft Trials in Restoration Scotland: Rational Reluctance and Corrupt Exploitation

Models of witchcraft hunting. Top Down Model emanating from central authority with social control, especially of women as motivating purpose (Larner)Bottom Up Model - local elites took the lead, central authority acted as restraining influence (Levack)More nuanced, above not mutually exclusive

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Witchcraft Trials in Restoration Scotland: Rational Reluctance and Corrupt Exploitation

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    1. Witchcraft Trials in Restoration Scotland: Rational Reluctance and Corrupt Exploitation This PowerPoint presentation will be found at: Centre for Cultural History seminar series 2008-9 archive http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ch/seminars08-09.shtml (scroll to bottom)

    2. Models of witchcraft hunting Top Down Model emanating from central authority with social control, especially of women as motivating purpose (Larner) Bottom Up Model - local elites took the lead, central authority acted as restraining influence (Levack) More nuanced, above not mutually exclusive – local Kirk took lead but they and central authority (Privy Council) always acted in ‘harmonious co-operation’ (Goodare) Kirk and State - internal divisions

    3. a witch pricker looks for the devil’s mark - an area of skin impervious to pain, usually to be found on the back, upper arms or neck

    4. Tools of the trade: witch-pricking needles

    5. Central Criminal Courts of Judiciary in Edinburgh (1672)

    6. William Clarke, Secretary to the English Army Commander in Scotland – his 1652 report ‘Three days have been spent, in the tryall and fining of severall persons for adultery, incest and fornication, for which theyre were above 60 persons brought before the Judges in a day; it is observable that such is the malice of these people, that most of them were accused for facts done divers years since, and the chief proof against them was their own confession before the kirk ... But that which is most observable is, that some were brought before them for witches, ... there were six of them in all, four whereof dyed of the torture’

    7. Bulestrode Whitelocke’s error ‘Letters that sixty persons, men and women, were accused before the commissioners ... at the last circuit for witches, but they found so much malice, and so little proof against them, that none were condemned.’

    9. National witch hunts 1590/91 King James VI and the North Berwick witches 1597 1628-30 1649 No definitive explanation for any of them but ‘both central and local authorities had to panic’ (Goodare) 1661/62 - rational reluctance and corrupt exploitation

    10. Setting for Brodie and his examination of witches

    11. Witches’ Stone, Forres last resting place of Brodie’s witches?

    12. A gruesome fate for the ‘poor creaturs’(sic)

    13. Alexander Brodie of Brodie’s home near Forres

    14. Rev James Fraser’s church at Wardlaw (a. k. a. Kirkhill) near Beauly

    15. The location of Chisholm of Cromer’s land in Strathglass

    16. The fate awaiting the Strathglass witches If found guilty the witches were to be ‘strangled to a stake and their body burnt to ashes, and their moveable goods to belong to His Majesty.’ (Privy Council directive dated 12 June 1662)

    17. As pricker’s exposed as charlatans The Privy Council instructs that John Hay, messenger, has his good name proclaimed from the Market Cross in the Royal Burgh of Tain

    18. Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh – Lord Advocate – expresses his disquiet with legal system with regard to witchcraft Pleadings in Some Remarkable Cases before the Supreme Courts of Scotland since the Year, 1661 (Edinburgh, 1673) The Laws and Customs of Scotland in Matters Criminal (Edinburgh, 1678)

    19. Witchcraft Trials in Restoration Scotland: Rational Reluctance and Corrupt Exploitation Conclusion This PowerPoint presentation will be found at: Centre for Cultural History seminar series 2008-9 archive http://www.abdn.ac.uk/ch/seminars08-09.shtml (scroll to bottom)

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