Skair,Catharin
Case Reference: C/EGD/1856
| Case Ref | C/EGD/1856 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Catharin Skair |
| Case Start Date | 11/4/1650 |
| Case Date | 11/4/1650 |
| Age at Case | 41 |
| Common Name | Skair,Catharin |
|---|
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Demonic | — | ✓ |
| Maleficium | — | ✓ |
| Implicated by Another | ✓ | ✓ |
Confessed that she had a spirit, in the shape of a cat, which she fed with bread and milk. She also consulted it for advice about what to do when she was in trouble or short of food etc. The spirit told her to ask people for things and that she would not be refused.
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Anti-baptism | |
| New name | Isoble Fairwedder |
Devil Appearances
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Animal Devil | round headed cat |
| Animal Devil | black dog |
| Male | cold man |
| Elphane/Fairyland | — |
|---|---|
| Food/Drink | — |
| Verbal Formulae | — |
| Ritual Acts | ✓ |
| Familiars | ✓ |
| Shape Changing | — |
|---|---|
| Dreams/Visions | — |
| Unorthodox Religious Practice | — |
| Sympathetic Magic | — |
| Riding Dead | — |
Notes: Witnesses claim they saw her going to a well and collecting water, which she cast on her rigg. She spoke nothing on her way and forbade witness to follow her to the well. Cursed witness who argued with her son, he then took ill.
Ritual Objects
- Water
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 confessed that she consulted her spirit for advice about curing her servant, and also how to charm animals. Confessed that she gave drink and a concoction of sugar and damson plums to a man whose money she had stolen, who then died.
- Revenge
- Sorcery
- Charming
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Liddell | Confession Witness | ||
| John Symer | younger of Brathwast | Confession Witness |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brechin Presbytery records | CH2/40/1, f 82. |