Thomsone,Elspeth
Case Reference: C/EGD/587
Case Summary
| Case Ref | C/EGD/587 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Elspeth Thomsone |
| Case Start Date | 23/4/1671 |
| Case Date | 18/5/1671 |
| Common Name | Thomsone,Elspeth |
|---|
Characterisation
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Demonic | — | ✓ |
| Maleficium | — | ✓ |
| Neighbourhood Dispute | ✓ | ✓ |
Notes: Mostly quarrelling and threats. But, Janet Callen, executed for witchcraft in 1659, had lived with Elspeth and supposedly left holes in her hearth stone. This could have played a part in her developing witch reputation. Interesting reference to Thomsone being upset at not getting an invitation to a baptism (very much like Sleeping Beauty).
A delerious man claimed to have seen the Devil as a rat that bit him and that he saw him coming towards him in his yard.
| Type | Text |
|---|---|
| Servant | |
| Sex | |
| Devil's Mark |
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: She killed a baby after she wasn't invited to the baptism. Quarrels about work, borrowing things, and social slights.
Property Damage Types
- Dairy
- Social slight
- Prayer
- Counter-magic
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court Books | JC10/2 fo. 18r, 21r-21v, 24r (west) | |
| Process Notes | JC26/38 | her own bundle. Her bundle has a dittay and witness depositions. Also a summonds for her to appear at trial and assize notes. |
Trials (1)
| Trial Ref | Date | Year | Verdict | Sentence | Execution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T/LA/1161 | 15/5/1671 | 1671 | Guilty | Execution | Yes |