Cornfoot,Janet
Case Reference: C/EGD/2446
Case Summary
| Case Ref | C/EGD/2446 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Janet Cornfoot |
| Case Start Date | 13/6/1704 |
| Case Date | 15/2/1705 |
| Common Name | Cornfoot,Janet |
|---|
Characterization
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Demonic | — | ✓ |
| Demonic Possession | — | ✓ |
| Maleficium | ✓ | ✓ |
| Implicated by Another | — | ✓ |
| Devil Present | Yes |
|---|---|
| Communal Sex | No |
| Devil Worship | No |
| Food and Drink | No |
| Dancing | No |
| Singing | No |
Notes: Cornfoot confessed that she met other witches at the Loan. Later (?)renounced some of her confession
Meeting Places
| Place | Location | Inversion |
|---|---|---|
| Loan | Pittenweem | No |
| Tolbooth | Laigh Tolbooth | No |
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Anti-baptism | |
| Paction |
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 causing a young boy to take fits.
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Anderson | Mr | Investigator | |
| William Bell | Investigator | ||
| Andrew Burn | Mr | Investigator | |
| James Chalmers | Mr of Radernie | Investigator | |
| Robert Cleland | Mr | Investigator | |
| Duddingston | Investigator | ||
| Giblistoun | Laird of | Investigator | |
| James Hadow | Mr | Investigator | |
| William Hardie | Mr | Investigator | |
| Lundine | Investigator |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| St Andrews Presbytery records | CH2/1131/ 1699-1705, pp 293-332. | G. 403 The presbytery volume has no NAS catalogue number yet. |
| Privy Council | PC1/53 p. 247-9 | |
| Privy Council | PC1/53 p. 358-9 |
Case Notes
One of several women accused of tormenting a local lad, Patrick Morton. This is another possession case. A group of seven people were charged with causing the tormenting of Patrick Morton, the sixteen year old son of a smith in Pittenweem. The town officials cited the precedent of 'Bargarran's daughter in the west' when applying for a commission for trial. The Privy Council appointed Her Majesty's Advocate, Sir James Stewart to prosecute the cases and the Privy Council said they would pay for it from the treasury. In 1705 she was eventually killed by an angry mob of men. They beat her and she was found nearly dead in the Sea Mark, then the bailies tried to save her. She was taken again and crushed to death under a door covered with stones. The Privy Council ordered all those involved brought to the tolbooth in Edinburgh and the magistrates charged with failure to keep the peace.