Drummond,Alexander

Case Reference: C/EGD/1094

Case Summary
Case RefC/EGD/1094
AccusedAlexander Drummond
Case Start Date31/5/1624
Case Date11/7/1629
Age at Case75
Common NameDrummond,Alexander
Characterization
TypePrimarySecondary
Unorthodox Religious Practice — ✓
Demonic — ✓
Folk Healing ✓ ✓
White Magic — ✓

Notes: It is all about folk healing (charming). He was being paid. It was said that he could cure all but present death. He made a direct challenge to the church saying he was more powerful than ministers because he could give people health (JC26/9 item 21). Maybe the mention of his familiar spirit was what shifted the case into witchcraft. The demonic consisted of hearsay rumours that his mother had given him to the Devil. The JC26/9 bundle has loads of information on specific words and cures used.

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

Notes: Used a sick man's shirt for diagnosis of bewitchment. Healing for money. Used part of a root under a man's head for failed healing attempt. Told some sick people to seek their health from the suspected bewitcher 'for God's sake'. He performed an unauthorised exorcism, he said he would save the boy's soul. He gave the boy a leather pouch filled with rusty nail, bits of stick and roots. Used south running water, powders to make drinks. Told people not to eat meat on Fridays. Said to use water where 'ane Christian King had ridden over' to wash a shirt for healing. He kept a book of cures and had 3 special stones called 'slake stanes'. Drummond called his healing words 'holy orations'.

Ritual Objects
  • Shirt
  • Bannock
  • Powder
  • Amulet
  • Nail
  • Water
  • Stones
Religious Motifs
  • Three
  • 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—

Disease Notes: He could cure frenaters, madness, the falling evil, destraction, apparitions, st. anthony's fire, noli me cangre, canceris wormes, glengores. Use of shirt. Wide range of healing.

White Magic
  • Love magic

  • Barthills Day

  • Magic
  • Charming
  • Sorcery
  • Incantation

Notes: charged with charming in RPC p. 104

NameTitleInvolvementNotes
Archibald Acheson SirInvestigator8/1/1629
Archibald Acheson SirCommissioner
Adam Bellenden MrInvestigator8/1/1629
Adam Bellenden MrCommissioner
Alexander Colville MrInvestigator8/1/1629
Alexander Colville MrCommissionersent out from centre to investigate in locality
Alexander Colville MrCommissionerin Edinburgh
James Drummond MrInvestigator
James Edmonstone MrInvestigator
George Elphinstone Sir of BlythswoodCommissioner
George Elphinstone Sir of BlythswoodInvestigator8/1/1629
John Fairbairn (Freebairn) MrInvestigator
John Graham MrInvestigator
Thomas Hope Sir of CraighallInvestigator8/1/1629
William Paton Investigator
John Rollok MrInvestigator
James Tolmiller of LalbachyrInvestigator

SourceReferenceNotes
RPC2nd S v3, p. 4payment to Edinburgh jailor.
Perth Presbytery MinutesCH2/299/2, p 341.Vol 2 is a transcribed copy of vol 1. This reference is dated 20/8/1628 and notes that the Perth presbytery was to be on the lookout for Alexander Drummond suspected of using unlawful cures, charms and abusing of the people. The information came from the presbytery of Auchterarder (referred to as Muthill in the Perth presbytery records).
RPC2nd S v3, p. 104commission of investigation
Books of AdjournalJC2/6 fo. 292r-293vAlso found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 3/7/1629.
RPC2nd S v3 p. 27
RPC2nd S v3, p. 211
RPC2nd S, v2 p. 536
RPC2nd S, v3 p. 2-3PC investigations
RPC2nd S, v8 p. 454-455This volume contains stuff from earlier that was not included in the regular series.
Process NotesJC26/9 items 1, 2, 6 -14, 16, 19-26, 29-32Witness statements (in order of item #), dated 28 Oct 1628, 31 May 1624, 6 april 1629, 4 may 1629, ??, 8 Feb 1629, 28 Sept. 1628, 29 Oct 1628, 1 April 1629, 23 march 1629, 3 Nov. 1628, ??, 8 April 1629, ??, 28 Oct. 1628, 24 Oct. 1628, 22 Jan. 1629,18 March 1629, 18 March 1629, 17 Oct. 1628, 8 July 1629, 16 March 1629, 6 April 1629, 7 March 1629. (depositions taken from all over, including Culross, Dunfirmline, Madderty, Fossoquhy, West Weymss, Muthill, Dunblane, and Edinburgh)
Process NotesJC26/9 items 15, 17, 18x, 33, 34confession texts. Dates in order of item #, 25 Oct. 1628, 12 January 1629, 26 Jan. 1629, 16 Oct. 1628, 18 Oct. 1628. (confessions given at Stirling, Edinburgh, Dunblane)
Process NotesJC26/9 items 3-5letters written posthumously to get his name cleared by order of the crown. They were written by an unknown woman to her 'loving brother' John Bannatyne Justice-clerk. Dated from 6 Oct. 1646, 13 Oct 1643 (possibly 1646 again?), and 13 December 1646.
Process NotesJC26/9 item 28witness summons.
Trials (2)
Trial RefDateYearVerdictSentenceExecution
T/JO/2203 No
T/LA/83 3/7/16291629 GuiltyExecution Yes
Case Notes
He was first denounced as a rebel on May 1624 in Perth. He was investigated by the minsters at Dunfermline on 31 May 1624. The Presbytery of Auchterarder (Muthill) could not break him and he had a lot of support locally. So the request was granted and he was transported to Edinburgh and tried there. Three RPC entries discuss this. There was a posthumous campaign to clear his name as 'ane notable Christian and did all his wondrous cures by lawfull meanes' (JC26/9 item 5).