Welch,James
Case Reference: C/EGD/435
Case Summary
| Case Ref | C/EGD/435 |
|---|---|
| Accused | James Welch |
| Case Start Date | 16/1/1662 |
| Case Date | 17/4/1662 |
| Age at Case | 15 |
| Common Name | Welch,James |
|---|
Characterization
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Demonic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fairies | — | ✓ |
| Maleficium | — | ✓ |
Notes: He was a young boy who confessed to over 15 meetings with witches and the Devil and delated around 90 people. His confessions involved the Devil and were most likely produced as the result of pressure exerted by the interrogators.
| Devil Present | Yes |
|---|---|
| Communal Sex | No |
| Devil Worship | No |
| Food and Drink | Yes |
| Dancing | No |
| Singing | No |
Notes: The first meeting at Haddington mill he just saw and it was after that he claimed he was brought to the Devil. Didn't say where the second meeting was, but he was brought by his mother and good dame. He confessed to drinking ale and wine at some meetings and eating meat.
Meeting Places
| Place | Location | Inversion |
|---|---|---|
| Mill | Haddington | No |
| Moor | Tranent Muir Brae | No |
| West Port of Edinburgh | No | |
| Kirk | Gladsmuir Kirk | No |
| Wood | Saltoun Wood | No |
| Wester Saltoun | No | |
| Mill | Paiston | No |
| Haddington | No | |
| Kirkyard | Haddington | No |
| Burn | Lethair burn | No |
| Barn | No | |
| Moor | Gladsmuir | No |
| East Barnes, Dunbar | No | |
| Broxburn | No | |
| Links | Gullane | No |
Brought to the Devil by his mother and his good dame - grandmother DoesnÔÇÖt way what their names were.
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Devil's Mark | thigh |
| Sex | with the bonnie lass |
| Servant | |
| Want nothing | |
| New name | James Scot |
| Head and foot | |
| Anti-baptism |
Devil Appearances
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Fairy | a bonnie lass |
| Male | gentleman |
| Male | green clothes |
| Elphane/Fairyland | ✓ |
|---|---|
| Food/Drink | — |
| Verbal Formulae | — |
| Ritual Acts | — |
| Familiars | — |
| Shape Changing | — |
|---|---|
| Dreams/Visions | — |
| Unorthodox Religious Practice | — |
| Sympathetic Magic | — |
| Riding Dead | — |
Elf/Fairy Elements
- Green
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 | — |
Property Damage Types
- Buildings
| Name | Title | Involvement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Borthwick | of Johnstonburn | Commissioner | |
| John Butler | Mr of Kirkland | Commissioner | |
| Richard Cairns | Mr of Pilmure | Commissioner | |
| John Dougall | Mr of Nunland | Commissioner | |
| Thomas Haliburton | of Eaglescarnie | Commissioner | |
| Francis Hepburn | of Beanston | Commissioner | |
| John Hepburn | Commissioner | ||
| Robert Ker | Mr | Investigator |
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Process Notes | JC26/28, first bundle, item 1 | |
| APS | Vol 7, p 248. | |
| Process Notes | JC26/28 first bundle, item 3 |
Trials (1)
| Trial Ref | Date | Year | Verdict | Sentence | Execution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T/LA/1313 | 17/4/1662 | 1662 | Prison | No |
Case Notes
He denounced about 90 people from East Lothian sometime in 1661.