Thom,Bessie
Case Reference: C/EGD/2122
Case Summary
| Case Ref | C/EGD/2122 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Bessie Thom |
| Case Start Date | 9/3/1597 |
| Case Date | 9/3/1597 |
| Common Name | Thom,Bessie |
|---|
Characterisation
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Demonic | — | ✓ |
| Fairies | — | ✓ |
| Maleficium | — | ✓ |
| Implicated by Another | ✓ | ✓ |
| Devil Present | Yes |
|---|---|
| Communal Sex | No |
| Devil Worship | No |
| Food and Drink | No |
| Dancing | Yes |
| Singing | No |
Notes: Claimed that Thomas Leyis led them all in the dancing.
Meeting Places
| Place | Location | Inversion |
|---|---|---|
| Yard | James Thomsouns's yard | No |
| Cross | Fish cross | No |
| Mercat Cross | meal market | No |
Named as having attended meetings but no confession or description of pact.
| Elphane/Fairyland | ✓ |
|---|---|
| Food/Drink | — |
| Verbal Formulae | — |
| Ritual Acts | ✓ |
| Familiars | — |
| Shape Changing | ✓ |
|---|---|
| Dreams/Visions | — |
| Unorthodox Religious Practice | — |
| Sympathetic Magic | — |
| Riding Dead | — |
Notes: Mentioned of sunrise in confession.
Elf/Fairy Elements
- 12:00
- Sunrise
Shape Changing
| Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Animal | hares |
| Animal | cats |
Ritual Objects
- Tree
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 murdering her husband with a drink ?poison. Also gave another man 'slaik' at the request of his wife, he later died. Offered to help get rid of another woman's husband.
- Ruidday
- Halloween
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Unspecified |
- Murder
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Leslie | Mr | Sheriff-depute | |
| Alexander Rutherford | Prosecutor | ||
| James Stewart | Chancellor |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spalding Club Miscellany | Vol I, pp. 167, 169-70. | |
| Spalding Club Miscellany | Vol V, p 66. |