Finlasoun,Margaret
Case Reference: C/EGD/1364
Case Summary
| Case Ref | C/EGD/1364 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Margaret Finlasoun |
| Case Start Date | 26/2/1650 |
| Case Date | 29/6/1650 |
| Age at Case | 35 |
| Common Name | Finlasoun,Margaret |
|---|
Characterisation
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Fairies | — | ✓ |
| Maleficium | — | ✓ |
| Implicated by Another | — | ✓ |
| Neighbourhood Dispute | ✓ | ✓ |
Notes: This one was all about neighbourhood disputes about land, buying, selling, child minding. She was implicated by two other witches
| Devil Present | Yes |
|---|---|
| Communal Sex | No |
| Devil Worship | No |
| Food and Drink | No |
| Dancing | No |
| Singing | No |
| Elphane/Fairyland | — |
|---|---|
| Food/Drink | — |
| Verbal Formulae | — |
| Ritual Acts | ✓ |
| Familiars | — |
| Shape Changing | ✓ |
|---|---|
| Dreams/Visions | — |
| Unorthodox Religious Practice | — |
| Sympathetic Magic | ✓ |
| Riding Dead | — |
Notes: Green threads. Someone found a pouch of thread and lead in their yard and assumed she had put it there to bewitch them. Mention of appeasement with ale.
Elf/Fairy Elements
- Green
Shape Changing
| Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Spirit | She appeared at night, crushing a sleeping man |
Ritual Objects
- Lead
- Thread
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: She supposedly took away a mother's milk to fulfill a curse. She seemed to take her anger out on her near neighbours and servants who dissatisfied her.
Property Damage Types
- Boats
- Animals
- Revenge
- Appeasement
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gemmill | elder | Investigator | |
| John Somerville | Investigator | ||
| John Spreull | the elder | Investigator | |
| George Winzett | Investigator |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RPC | 2nd S, v8 pp. 211-235 | A very complete pre-trial package of documents! |
Trials (1)
| Trial Ref | Date | Year | Verdict | Sentence | Execution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T/LA/1096 | No |