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How did Scotland’s system of government compare to England’s?
Less complex with fewer royal agents at the monarch’s disposal and local offices allowed to pursue witch hunts without interference. Trials dominated and directed by paranoid neighbours of suspected witches.
What were the only two bodies who could in theory authorize torture?
Privvy Council or parliament of Scotland
How rigidly were the torture rules enforced?
Due to monarchy being weak, local judges often allowed torture without suffering repercussions.
How did Scotland’s jury system allow for more guilty verdicts in witch trials?
Majority needed rather than unanimous decision
Which particular protestant sect was dominant in Scotland?
Calvinist
Why did this predispose them to hunting witches?
Anti-Catholic feeling heightened a well-established suspicion of rituals and traditions which were increasingly blamed on witches
How did England compare economically to Scotland?
Relatively poor - appeal of the notion of the Devil was able to offer people eternal riches and fruitful life whilst on earth
What was a ‘witches get’?
Children of accused witches who suffered the same reputation as their parents
How did this contribute to the idea that people would tempted to make a pact with the devil?
Women who were antisocial or caused neighbours distress were often labelled as witches
To what extent did Scotland have an underlying belief in magic and the supernatural?
Deeply held belief in fairies and folk magic used for helpful purposes, could result in accusations of wrongdoing
What percentage of those who faced trial in Scotland were executed?
54%
Analysis: To what extent do statistics show that the Scottish persecuted witches more than similar European nations?
Analysis (fig 3.3): To what extent does the North Berwick witch hunt trigger a steady increase in accusations of witchcraft?
Analysis Paragraph: To what extent do you agree that the weaknesses of the Scottish Political system were the most significant factor in creating a positive atmosphere for witch hunting?
In what way did Gilly Duncan seem to show magical powers?
Unnatural healing abilities, patients miraculously recovered
How was Gilly Duncan an untypical witch in terms of her background?
Young and not isolated from community, worked as maidservant for Seaton
What position did David Seaton hold?
Local deputy-bailiff
Analysis: Why is this so significant given the flaws with the Scottish political system?
Able to torture her and question her about her skills, why she had stole from him and how she disappeared for days at a time
What did Seaton use to extract a confession from Duncan?
Torture - pilliwinks (thumb screws), cords around her head
Analysis: What does this tell you about the power of the Scottish government?
What discovery finally forced Duncan to confess?
Witches mark found on the front of her throat
What did Duncan do to perpetuate the witch craze once she was in prison?
Began to name other witches
Who did Duncan implicate in her confession?
Agnes Sampson, Doctor (John) Fian, Agnes Thompson
What motivations might Seaton have had for prosecuting Duncan?
Her stealing from him, being absent from work, being in an affair which ended shortly before accusations were made
What is one of the primary sources of the Gilly Duncan trial?
Newes from Scotland (1591), reproduced in James’ Daemonologie
Research: Who wrote it and why was it written?
How many times did Anne of Denmark try to reach Scotland to marry James?
Three times, began on 1st September 1589
What happened each time?
Fleet was driven back by storms
Why might the Admiral Munk have had a personal reason for suspecting witchcraft?
Couldn’t recall ever witnessing storms as dangerous, was concerned that he may be accused of negligence himself
Who did James initially send to collect Anne?
Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, rejected as too expensive
Who did James meet?
Had a stormy journey, met scientists, philosophers and leading Danish theologian Niels Hemmingsen
What impact did they have on him?
Discussed Calvinism at length and met courtiers who held strong beliefs about group witch trials
Dangerous journey home, lost a ship
Analysis: Why is it surprising that these individuals believed in and promoted a belief in witchcraft?
Give three points of evidence that suggest the storms may have been instrumental in increasing James’ belief and desire to hunt witches:
present at performance of Flyting in 1580 which refers to fairies and witches
Witchcraft Act 1563 forbid anyone to use witchcraft but still worded the existence as sceptical
1573, the Kirk General Assembly ordered that witches would repent for their sins and would not be executed
meeting Niels Hemmingsen may have fired his belief in witchcraft, wrote book in 1575 on magic, accepted that witches were able to carry out maleficium but denied a pact with the Devil
What is Riis counter argument to this?
Witchcraft accusations in Denmark were based on localised cases of maleficium and not pacts with the Devil, voyage would’ve had little impact
What aspect was rarely referred to in Danish witch trials?
1547, laws passed for state protection and fair trials, torture disallowed, not able to have testimony from disreputable individuals
Rarely made reference to satanic pact
What did the devil ask Bessie Dunlop to become in 1576?
Become a Catholic, accused in Ayr 1576, confessed under torture
Analysis: What does this say about the potential structural causes of witch hunts?
Connection between Danish and Scottish witchcraft was first made in early July 1590, crazed woman in Leith prophesised James would carry out noble acts, news met Scotland that witches in Denmark caused the storms
Analysis: How does the Anna Koldings case explicitly connect the storms with witchcraft for James VI?
Suspected to disrupt the voyage of James and Anne, names 5 other witches due to fear of torture, sent demons to climb onto ship and pull into waves - burnt at the stake
Why might Christian Valkendorff be keen to promote the idea that the storms were caused by witches?
Minister of finance, initially accused of providing inadequate and poorly constructed fleet, argued witches were to blame
Analysis Paragraph: To what extent does the issues surrounding the journey of Anne of Denmark demonstrate political incentives to promote the idea of witchcraft?
In what ways was Agnes Sampson a typical suspect of witchcraft?
Older woman, midwife, healer and cunning-woman
In what ways was she unusual?
Well educated
Where was she interrogated and who by?
King James examined her at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh
Analysis: Why might this individual have a suddenly increased interest in prosecuting witches?
Sampson was asked if she had been responsible for the storms that delayed the royal rendezvous
Research & notes: To what extent did this interest already exist?
What torture methods were used to extract a confession?
Witch’s bridle (kept mouth open to prevent reciting charms), cords tied around her limbs and sleep deprivation - admitted to healing sick, discovering personal information, sailed across sea in a sieve and called on Devil in shape of dog called Elva
What specific confession made James take an interest in the case?
Instructing members of her coven to raise a storm to prevent Anne of Denmark’s arrival in Scotland
What did Agnes say that convinced James of the truth of her statements?
Repeated exact words passed between James and Anne on their wedding night - had precise knowledge of witchcraft due to being a healer rather than a pact with the Devil, e.g. threw cat in the sea to cause the storms
Did Agnes start implication key individuals before or after James’ involvement in the trial?
Before, moved accusations away from limited area of North Berwick to Edinburgh, already discovered Devil’s marks on her body
Analysis: Why might this be the case?
Why might Barbara Napier have been implicated?
Friend of Earl of Bothwell, wrote to him whilst on trial but found its way to the King
Why might Richard Graham have been implicated?
1590, taken into custody as magician - knew Bothwelland in 1593 tried to sell him a familiar spirit bound ring
Why might Effie McCalyan have been implicated?
Well respected, trial contained details of four coven meetings, accused of witchcraft to transfer childbirth pains, servants testified against her
Why might John Fian have been implicated?
Schoolmaster from Saltpans, arrested 20th December 1590 and charged with 20 counts of witchcraft (inc. Sampson’s casting cat into sea) and high treason, claimed he had renounced the Devil
How was John Fian tortured?
Head twisted with a rope, needles under fingernails, ‘boots’
What was significant about his refusal to confess?
Made interrogators more enthusiastic about his torture as it was believed that a refusal to confess meant the Devil was particularly entrenched in their soul
List 5 different of the different charges Fian faced:
recorded oaths of allegiance to Devil in coven meetings
gave ‘kiss of shame’ to the Devil
bewitched woman to fall in love with him, instead bewitched a cow to follow him
dismembered unbaptised babies
predicted people’s futures and deaths
Analysis: How do these charges reflect different motivations & origins for witchcraft accusations?
Came into contact with many locals, conducted affairs with married women, well-educated individual, taught Latin and Greek - seen to possess hidden knowledge
Why did James have a predisposition towards believing in plots against him?
Father (Lord Darnley) murdered when he was 8 months old, Mary Queen of Scots married James Hepburn (Earl of Bothwell), Mary abdicated and fled to England, Elizabeth imprisoned Mary and was executed for plot to overthrow Elizabteth in 1587 - dangerous conspiracies surrounded his childhood
Why did James have a fear of Catholics?
George Gordon, influential Catholic, plotting to assist Spain in invasion of Scotland
Why couldn’t James simply purge Catholics from his kingdom?
Catholic Lords provided degree of balance against radical Protestant Kirk
What idea about witchcraft and the devil did James actively promote?
Witches were actively worshipping the Devil
Analysis: Why might promoting this belief increase the severity of witchhunting?
Why is James belief in the ‘divine right of kings’ significant?
Enthusiasm to follow God’s will to remove threat against divinity, aimed to covet the English throne and present himself as godly Protestant who was concerned with defending the threats facing his people
What happened in the Barbara Napier case that showed James’ passion for the cause?
Initially acquitted, personally arranged for jurors to be tried for their error
Analysis: What other motivation might James have had for this action?
Widely allowed torture to be used within the hunt
How was Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell, related to the king?
1st Cousin, part of Privvy Council, held office of Lord High Admiral of Scotland
Analysis: Why is this significant if James doesn’t have an heir?
He was in line to the throne
What three incidences lead James to mistrust Bothwell?
1583, involved in plot to oust the royal favourite, Earl of Arran
1587, openly criticised James for failing to intervene in execution of Mary Queen of Scots
1589, accused and found guilty of treason for conspiring against the king
How did Sampson implicate Bothwell?
She confessed he had asked her to divine how long until James’ death and predict what would happen afterwards, he encouraged her to send familiar to kill the king
How did Graham implicate Bothwell?
He confessed that Bothwell was part of the conspiracy, arrested 15th April 1591 and held at Edinburgh Castle
What evidence is there that James truly believed Bothwell presented a magical threat to his reign?
Bothwell suggested James made the journey to Denmark himself
24th July 1593, James attempted to flee when Bothwell seeked his pardon
What did Bothwell claim in his trial of 1593?
Accusations were deliberate attempts to undermine him politically
Witnesses who could testify if they were threatened with torture if they did not implicate him in the plot against James
How did Bothwell show he was a genuine threat in 1594?
Attempted a final uprising against the king’s forces at Leith in March 1594
What reputation did Bothwell have when he was in exile in Italy?
Powerful magician
What faith did Bothwell possibly adopt during exile?
Catholic faith
Analysis Paragraph: To what extent do you think the North Berwick witch trials were driven by a political turmoil?
How many people were implicated during the witch trials of the early 1590’s?
70 people
To what extent is our knowledge of these trials and outcomes limited?
Not all implicated were arrrested, total number of arrested is unknown
Analysis Paragraph: How representative of Scottish witch trials do you think the North Berwick trials were?
What is interesting about the case of Alison Jollie in 1596?
Accused of hiring a witch to kill her neighbour, found not guilty, isolated case
How is James involved in the trial of Cristian Stewart in 1596?
Appeared in person at the trail, accused of murder through witchcraft
Analysis: To what extent does this show any change in James’ beliefs on witchcraft?
To what extent did interest in witch hunting remain consistent between 1590-97?
What were the consequences of setting up ‘general commission’, 1591-97?
Miscarriages of justice, formalised trying of witches - easy to arrange trials and made convictions likely
List 4 general commissions and their consequences:
October 1591, five judges named with no specified subjects and given commission to torture at will
Mid-1592, nobles and magistrates given commissions for investigation and trial
1596, James changed so requests went to Privvy Council rather than himself - gave commission to Sir William Stewart to investigate witchcraft
1595, Edinburgh authorities tortured Alison Balfour without warrant
Why did the Alison Balfour case reduce the number of commissions after 1597?
Also tortured her 81 year old husband and 7 year old daughter, Alison was executed despite recanting the confession that was made under torture
What was Jane Wishart accused of?
Raising storms, causing death and injury to victims
What happened to her?
Executed alongside an accused accomplice
How many people were accused beyond Aberdeenshire?
400 people
Who was responsible for accusing them?
Margaret Aitkin, agreed to assist the authorities in identifying further offenders
Who may have intervened in the trial?
James
Why did the authorities grow skeptical?
Identify witches who were previously claimed to be innocent
Analysis paragraph: To what extent are the witch hunts of 1597 the same as those of earlier in the decade?
interrogations and trials carried out at a local level
time of poor harvest and widespread plague/disease
judicial procedures contributed to increased executions - under instruction of local officials who relied on disgruntled local witnesses
Analysis: What impact would the publication of Daemonolgie (1597) have on the witch trials between 1590-97?
James’ guide to witchcraft, created against Reginald Scott’s sceptical work to clarify his stance on witchcraft
Outlines his key beliefs in witches, e.g. Devil pacts, covens, renouncing baptism, limited powers of witches
Provides guide to identifying witches, e.g. Devil’s mark upon renouncing baptism, swimming test, demonic possessions cured by fasting and prayer, vulnerability of women due to Eve being led astray
Analysis: To what extent do the main features of Daemonologie reveal a Protestantism to be the driving force behind James’ beliefs on witchcraft?
How was James involved in the Stirlingshire Panic, 1597?
16th September, ordered magistrates of Stirling to send an unnamed witch to him
Who was accused by the unnamed witch?
Patrick Heron and his wife
What could have been behind the accusation?
They were within a property dispute with Sir William Menteith and his son
Note 
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