The North Berwick witch trials (1590-91)

James' Denmark Voyage

- Anne of Denmark had had 3 failed voyages to Scotland, Peter Munk (admiral) attributed them to witchcraft

- James VI return journey in 1590 was perilous- one of his fleet destroyed

- July 1590 Peter Munk demands 5 suspected witches to be tried in Copenhagen for attempts to murder Anne and James

- Many more were named and burnt at stake

- Began paranoia that witchcraft had entered Scotland

- James met with philosophers during his time in Copenhagen, such as Niels Hemmingsen, who convinced him of witchcraft further

Anna Koldings

- One of the Danish coven

- Tortured to confession

- Names 12 Others

- Burned at stake

Scotlands socio-economic context/ pre-requisite conditions

- Huge religious shifts in Scotland, especially after MQoS' execution

- Scottish juries only needed a simple majority (51%)

- Local officials often persued witchhunts without lots of interference

- Relatively poor compared to England (people making deals w devil for money)

- Children of witches were 'Witches Get' anti-social and unusual women often labelled

- Belief in Fairies and folk magic used for helpful reasons, creating confusion

Gilly Duncan

- Young woman who began to visit the sick and disabled in the evenings

- Her landlord, David Seaton, noticed this and began torturing her and claiming she was a witch

- Thumb screws and ropes around her head

- Seaton found the 'Devils mark' on her Neck causing her to confess

- She confessed to being a witch and talking to teh danish coven, who sank James' ship

- First instance of diabolism in North Berwick

- She would name influential local figures such as John Fian and Agnes Sampson

- King James directly involved and this torture had is royal approval

Agnes Sampson

- Older midwife

-James interogated her, after the devils mark was found

- 'Witches bridle' used to keep her mouth open, cords tied around her limbs and extreme sleep deprivation

- questioned in depth and provided logical answers

- Charged with 'healing people' 'sailing across the sea in a sieve' and having a familiar in the form of her dog, Elva.

- She repeated words James said while consumating his marriage, confirming she was a witch

- She accused Barabra Napier (involved with Bothwell) and Effie McCalyan (Daughter of a lord)

Effie McCalyan

- Daughter of a Lord

- Accused by Agnes Sampson

- Transferred her pain from childbirth to a dog and a cat

John Fian

- School master/ Headteacher

- Charged with 20 counts of witchcraft and high treason

- Targetted as he came into contact with many locals and was rumoured to have had affairs with many women

- Tortured to confession

- Claimed he had reknownced the devil, but it had returned to him

Barbara Napier

-1592 Trials.

-Sister in law of a Lord.

-Friend of Bothwell

-Acquitted of charges of attending a -Sabbat by a jury.

-James VI overturned this verdict and ordered the jury members to be charged with wilful error.

-He did not follow through with this but it shows his dedication to eradicate witches.

Role of James in North Berwick witch trials

- He was 24 and highly inexperienced in leadership (only 7 years as a king)

- Childhood and adolescence riddled with political instability and crises ( Father murdered when he was 8 months old, mother married his fathers alleged murderer, mother was part of many plots and executed for treason)

- Highly religious environment (Contention with MQoS' catholicism, Influential catholic, George Gordon, was plotting an invasion of Scotland from Spain

- Agnes Sampson provided an explanation for the storms

- Approved the torture, leading to it being frequently used without permission from the privy council

- Promoted idea that witches were worshipping the devil

- Belief in the divine right of kings

Bothwell - Early Career

- 1st Cousin of James

- became a military commander and joined the privy council

- 1583 involved in a plot to oust the royal favourite, Earl of Arran, and spent time under house arrest

- 1587 he criticised James for failing to prevent MQoS execution

- 1589 accused and found guilty of treason as part of a group that were believed to attempt to 'seize' the king, the sentence was deferred

Newes from scotland

- provided information on the witch trials

- allowed the public to spread and justify this event

James' personal interest in the escalation

- MQoS's abdication and then marriage to her husbands alleged murderer, she was a catholic and therefore potentially satanic

- Witches posed a threat to James' divine right, one of his strongest beliefs

- He was directly involved in the torture of Agnes Sampson, which helped normalise the use of torture against suspected witches.

1591-96 commissions

- In october 1591 5 judges were appointed the permission to torture at will

- James' gave up his complete power on these in 1596 to the privy council as his priorities changes.

Alison Balfour (1595)

- In the Orkney islands displaying the spread of the witch craze

- Tortured and accused of being a witch for two days in 1595 without a warrant

- Tortured her 81yr old husband and 7 yr old daughter also

- executed despite recanting her confession made under duress (torture)

Jane Wishart (1597)

- Accused of creating a storm, causing injury and causing death

- An example of where the witchcraze spread, as she was from Aberdeen.

Margaret Aitken

- Accused as a witch in 1597

- Cooperated with authorities and began travelling around scotland, identifying witches.

- Only started naming people after she had been interogated by authorities and James.

- Had made over 400 accusations

- Began to accuse those she had ruled out and authorities thought she had become suspicious and was executed.

Why is there less info on the 91-96 comissions?

- Not as well documented

- a poor harvest and plague had started and allowed the pre requisite conditions to spread.

- Governmental priorities changing over time

Persistence in North Berwick - The kirk

- James was disatified in their efforts to stop witchcraft

- relations broke with Jamaes in 1592 and became a public open conflict by 1596

- Extreme prebryterians didnt believe in his divine right

- James' unwillingness to deal with the catholics in the north also worsened relations

Persistence in North Berwick - Justices of the peace

- Trials were carried out by local authorities

- There was no direct involvement from the central government, leading to excessive interrogation and accusation

James' personal beliefs about witches

- Witches were attempting to destroy society and kill all protestants

- James believed all witches are diabolical, no white magic existed

- Belief that its not only a problem in scotland - but one that spans globally

Rational methods of identifying a witch

- Seen as Fair and just methods as laid out in 'daemonologie'

- Search for the devils mark (Birthmark/freckle/mole) which had appeared as their skin rejected their baptism

- Pricking the devils mark, if there was no blood, then they were a witch

- Swimming test, thumbs tied to feet and if they drowned they were innocent and if not they were a witch (Used mainly in england)

- Believed in possession, which could only be cured through prayer and fasting

'The herons and stirlingshire panic'