Thompson,Bessie

Case Reference: C/EGD/120

Case Summary
Case RefC/EGD/120
AccusedBessie Thompson
Case Start Date1/5/1590
Case Date27/1/1591
Common NameThompson,Bessie
Characterization
TypePrimarySecondary
Demonic
Maleficium
Implicated by Another
Treason
Not Enough Info

Notes: Part of the North Berwick witch hunt. It involved many people and many accustions about witches meetings, specifically two separate attempts to sink the royal ships. The first to sink Queen Anne on her way home, second to trouble King James after he went to get her in Denmark.

Devil PresentNo
Communal SexNo
Devil WorshipNo
Food and DrinkNo
DancingNo
SingingNo

Notes: Meeting described as having 9 people. Questioned about the meeting at Newhaven with a wax image. Confessed that she was present at the corpse raising in North Berwick.

Meeting Places
PlaceLocationInversion
FoulstrutherNo
PrestonpansNo
KirkNorth BerwickNo
KirkyardNorth BerwickNo

Elphane/Fairyland
Food/Drink
Verbal Formulae
Ritual Acts
Familiars
Shape Changing
Dreams/Visions
Unorthodox Religious Practice
Sympathetic Magic
Riding Dead
Ritual Objects
  • Glass
  • Thread
  • Salt
  • Corpse
  • Wax

SourceReferenceNotes
Pitcairnv I, part II, page 239-241same text as JC2/2 JC26/2
Books of AdjournalJC2/2 fos. 201r-207r
Process NotesJC26/2 witchcraft bundle, item, 16xinterrogation
Trials (2)
Trial RefDateYearVerdictSentenceExecution
T/LA/1674 No
T/LA/969 No