Weir,Bessie
Case Reference: C/EGD/1745
| Case Ref | C/EGD/1745 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Bessie Weir |
| Case Start Date | 18/1/1677 |
| Case Date | 20/2/1677 |
| Common Name | Weir,Bessie |
|---|
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Demonic | — | ✓ |
| Fairies | — | ✓ |
| Maleficium | ✓ | ✓ |
Notes: Attempted murder was the main accusation but demonic pact included in commission. She supposedly had malice against Maxwell of Pollock because he didn't hire her husband to work at the harvest. The whole group seems to have had a problem with Maxwell, their landlord - could be that they were doing something in protest.
| Devil Present | Yes |
|---|---|
| Communal Sex | No |
| Devil Worship | No |
| Food and Drink | No |
| Dancing | No |
| Singing | No |
Notes: There were two meetings described in confessions of this group to destroy Maxwell of Pollock. The first in 10/1676, the second on 4/1/1677. Both involved image magic.
Meeting Places
| Place | Location | Inversion |
|---|---|---|
| House | Mathie's | No |
| House | John Stewart's | No |
Devil described as a black man, with a bluish band, white hand cuffs, and hogers (leg coverings) with no shoes, and with cloven fee. His name was Ejuall. His voice was described as 'hough and goushe'. She was also accused of helping Mathie get her daughter (Annabell) to join the devil.
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| New name | Sophia |
| Devil's Mark |
Devil Appearances
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Male | black man |
| Elphane/Fairyland | — |
|---|---|
| Food/Drink | — |
| Verbal Formulae | ✓ |
| Ritual Acts | ✓ |
| Familiars | — |
| Shape Changing | — |
|---|---|
| Dreams/Visions | — |
| Unorthodox Religious Practice | — |
| Sympathetic Magic | ✓ |
| Riding Dead | — |
Notes: Accused of attempted murder using wax/clay figures roasted in a fire. Wax images were found. She was the one in her group who spoke the ritual words and turned the wax image on a spit over a fire.
Elf/Fairy Elements
- 12:00
Ritual Objects
- Wax/clay images
- Fire
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: Accused of attempting to murder Maxwell of Pollok.
- Revenge
- Murder
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Anderson | the younger of Dowhill | Commissioner | |
| James Brisbane | of Bishopton | Commissioner | |
| Patrick Houstoun | Sir of that Ilk | Commissioner | |
| John Preston | Mr of Haltrees | Commissioner | |
| John Shaw | Sir of Greenock | Commissioner |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RPC | 3rd series, vol 5, xxxv-xxxvi, 95 | |
| Circuit Court Books | JC10/4 fo. 1r-13v |
| Trial Ref | Date | Year | Verdict | Sentence | Execution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T/JO/618 | 14/2/1677 | 1677 | Guilty | Execution | Yes |