Wright,Bessie
Case Reference: C/EGD/1025
| Case Ref | C/EGD/1025 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Bessie Wright |
| Case Start Date | 26/4/1626 |
| Case Date | 22/10/1628 |
| Age at Case | 42 |
| Common Name | Wright,Bessie |
|---|
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Folk Healing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maleficium | — | ✓ |
Notes: The main accusations appear to relate to healing rituals and advice that did not work and the patients died rather than death as a result of maleficium. No demonic features.
| Elphane/Fairyland | — |
|---|---|
| Food/Drink | — |
| Verbal Formulae | — |
| Ritual Acts | — |
| Familiars | — |
| Shape Changing | — |
|---|---|
| Dreams/Visions | — |
| Unorthodox Religious Practice | — |
| Sympathetic Magic | — |
| Riding Dead | — |
Notes: This case has some interesting details about the herbs and other ingredients that she used in salves. These included rippell grasse (ripple grass or robwort plantain), waffron leaf(?), plantain feather(?), finglie (?finkle or fennel), and hyssop(?). She denied she had used foxtree leaves (foxglove). She also claimed that she had her skill from the possession of a book, that had belonged to her father and grandfather. She said it was a 1000 years old but as she could not read it her son, Adam Bell, would read out bits to her. The book was taken from her during the ministry of William Couper who was minister between 1595 and 1612.
Ritual Objects
- Salve
- Drink
- Herb
- Book
Harm
| Human Illness | ✓ |
|---|---|
| Human Death | ✓ |
| Animal Illness | — |
| Animal Death | — |
| Female Infertility | — |
| Male Impotence | — |
Methods
| Aggravating Disease | — |
|---|---|
| Transferring Disease | — |
| Laying On | — |
| Quarreling | — |
| Cursing | — |
| Poisoning | — |
Healing / Other
| Removal of Bewitchment | — |
|---|---|
| Recognised Healer | ✓ |
| Healing Humans | ✓ |
| Healing Animals | — |
| Midwifery | — |
| Property Damage | ✓ |
| Weather Modification | — |
Disease Notes: Main accusations were about healing rituals which did not work but one witness (male) seems to have had a number of grudges (ale spoilt, pains in his limbs, social insult). Said she could cure the bairn bed (?childbirth), gravel, the liver and migraine.
Property Damage Types
- Ale
- Charming
- Sorcery
- Appeasement
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Adamson | Mr | Investigator | requested a commission on behalf of the ministers of Perth |
| William Cooper | Mr | Minister | ordered the removal of her medical book in 1611(?) |
| James Fowler | Mr | Minister | ordered to attend justice ayre by presbytery |
| William Graham | Earl of Mentieth | issued commission | |
| John Malcolm | Mr | Minister | |
| John Moncreiff | Sir of that Ilk | Sheriff | |
| John Moncreiff | Sir of Kynmonth | Sheriff-depute | |
| William Murray | Mr of Ochtertyre | Sheriff-depute | |
| David Murray | Jailor | ||
| John Robertson | Mr | Minister | ordered to attend justice ayre by presbytery |
| William Row | Mr | Minister | ordered to attend justice ayre by presbytery |
| David Williamson | Mr | Minister | ordered to attend justice ayre by presbytery |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RPC | 2nd S, v2 p. 623-4 | |
| Perth Presbytery Minutes | CH2/299/2, pp. 253, 255-6, 317, 320-4, 326-7, 331-6, 341-2, 346-8. | Vol 2 is a transcription of vol 1. There are several entries from 1626-1628 giving details about accusations, imprisonment, Bessie Wright's statements, applications for trial etc. One entry refers to more details in the kirk session minutes of Perth. |
| Trial Ref | Date | Year | Verdict | Sentence | Execution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T/LA/497 | No |