Merchant,Margaret
Case Reference: C/EGD/1848
Case Summary
| Case Ref | C/EGD/1848 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Margaret Merchant |
| Case Start Date | 3/1/1650 |
| Case Date | 19/3/1650 |
| Common Name | Merchant,Margaret |
|---|
Characterisation
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Demonic | — | ✓ |
| Maleficium | ✓ | ✓ |
| Neighbourhood Dispute | — | ✓ |
Confessed that she met devil at Lucifer's Loch on the common moor. He told her how to steal milk from other people's cows.
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Anti-baptism | |
| New name | Jonat Archibald |
| Sex |
Devil Appearances
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Male |
| Elphane/Fairyland | — |
|---|---|
| Food/Drink | — |
| Verbal Formulae | — |
| Ritual Acts | ✓ |
| Familiars | — |
| Shape Changing | — |
|---|---|
| Dreams/Visions | — |
| Unorthodox Religious Practice | — |
| Sympathetic Magic | ✓ |
| Riding Dead | — |
Notes: Blew in the face of one of her victims. Put divots of grass under her cogs.
Ritual Objects
- Salt
- Grass
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: Their landlord had told them to leave their house, which they were reluctant to do. New tenant blamed her and said she had come round to him and blown in his face. He took ill and later died. Disputes over business deals.
Other Maleficia Notes: Witnessed accused Merchant of causing loss of animals and goods after some dispute.
Property Damage Types
- Animals
- Dairy
- Revenge
- Failed business interaction
- Appeasement
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Alexander | Mr | Confession Witness | |
| John Fraser | the younger | Confession Witness | |
| Alexander Middleton | Mr | Confession Witness | |
| Robert Murray | Mr | Confession Witness | |
| Robert Norrie | Mr | Investigator | |
| Lawrence Skinner | Mr the younger | Investigator |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brechin Presbytery records | CH2/40/1, f 84-86. | Anderson, M, St Andrews undergraduate dissertation, 1976 (no references given). The project did not check Larner's reference to this printed secondary source as part of the research. |
Trials (1)
| Trial Ref | Date | Year | Verdict | Sentence | Execution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T/JO/1210 | No |