Duchill,Margaret
Case Reference: C/EGD/297
Case Summary
| Case Ref | C/EGD/297 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Margaret Duchill |
| Case Start Date | 11/5/1658 |
| Case Date | 23/6/1658 |
| Age at Case | 45 |
| Common Name | Duchill,Margaret |
|---|
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: Several meetings at various places. Often met at the house of the person who they intended to harm
Meeting Places
| Place | Location | Inversion |
|---|---|---|
| House | neighbour's house | No |
| Cross | Alloa cross | No |
| Cunigar? | No | |
| Barn | at barn door | No |
| House | other person's house | No |
Claimed the devil was called 'Johne'. He lay on top of her cow and was like a cow.
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Anti-baptism | |
| Devil's Mark | eyebrow |
| Sex | |
| Servant | |
| Want nothing |
Devil Appearances
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Male | in brown clothes and black hat |
| Elphane/Fairyland | ✓ |
|---|---|
| Food/Drink | — |
| Verbal Formulae | — |
| Ritual Acts | — |
| Familiars | — |
| Shape Changing | ✓ |
|---|---|
| Dreams/Visions | — |
| Unorthodox Religious Practice | — |
| Sympathetic Magic | — |
| Riding Dead | — |
Notes: Often met the devil and others at 12 o'clock at night.
Elf/Fairy Elements
- Midnight
Shape Changing
| Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Animal | cat |
| Animal | black dog |
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: Confessed that she complained to the devil about people who had insulted her or owed the group money and the devil would punish them and kill them. Caused death of people and animals. Took a man and tried to drown him.
Property Damage Types
- Animals
- Revenge
- Debt
- Verbal Insult
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Bennet | Mr | Investigator | |
| James Meldrum | Mr | Investigator | |
| David Morrison | Elder | ||
| Mathias Simpson | Mr | Investigator |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stirling Presbytery records | CH2/722/6, pp.89-99. | |
| Process Notes | JC26/26 bundle 3 'Stirling witches', item 20, 21 | mentioned |