Malcome,Steven

Case Reference: C/EGD/1045

Case Summary
Case RefC/EGD/1045
AccusedSteven Malcome
Case Start Date20/3/1628
Case Date3/7/1628
Common NameMalcome,Steven
Characterization
TypePrimarySecondary
Unorthodox Religious Practice
Fairies
Folk Healing
Not Enough Info
White Magic

Notes: Seems to have been a recognised healer as people from several parishes described how he had healed their sicknesses, including St Ninian's, Logie, Kippen and Gargunnock.

Elphane/Fairyland
Food/Drink
Verbal Formulae
Ritual Acts
Familiars
Shape Changing
Dreams/Visions
Unorthodox Religious Practice
Sympathetic Magic
Riding Dead

Notes: Described several rituals for healing, which he claimed he had learned from the fairy folk. They had appeared to him in several forms at several different places. Used water (south running) to heal. Would charm sarks with water and words. Carried a sick child over a dyke to cure it. Told a father his child had taken a 'fray in the night'. Told to take it outside at 11 or 12 o'clock, lay his hands on the child and shake his drawn sword over it, as the fairies would not come when they saw a drawn sword. Identified where a woman got sick and told her to go there and seek her health in God's name.

Elf/Fairy Elements
  • Group of fairies
  • Changeling
  • Iron
Ritual Objects
  • Water
  • Stones
  • Bread
  • Cheese
  • Sword
  • Fire
  • Shirt
Religious Motifs
  • Prayer
  • Trinity

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
White Magic
  • Divination

  • Charming

Notes: The details in the presbytery records are all about charming. Witchcraft is not mentioned.

NameTitleInvolvementNotes
Thomas Crystie Elder
David Leishman elderElder
Henry Shaw MrInvestigator
Malcolm Taylor Investigator

SourceReferenceNotes
RPC2nd S, v1 p. 353
Stirling Presbytery recordsCH2/722/5, pp. 18-28.
Trials (1)
Trial RefDateYearVerdictSentenceExecution
T/LA/488 No