Corsan,Jannet

Case Reference: C/EGD/793

Case Summary
Case RefC/EGD/793
AccusedJannet Corsan
Case Start Date19/5/1658
Case Date5/4/1659
Common NameCorsan,Jannet
Characterization
TypePrimarySecondary
Unorthodox Religious Practice
Folk Healing
Maleficium
Implicated by Another
Neighbourhood Dispute

Notes: The circuit court docs have bad handwriting and is just ratification of witness statements. Found a second record of witness statements that shows that the main things here were disputes, curses and failed healing attempts. One oblique mention of not being paid for healing. The dittay from the Dumfries dittay roll is all quarrels and curses, no healing. Therefore I decided to put Neighbourhood dispute as the primary.

Elphane/Fairyland
Food/Drink
Verbal Formulae
Ritual Acts
Familiars
Shape Changing
Dreams/Visions
Unorthodox Religious Practice
Sympathetic Magic
Riding Dead

Notes: Denounced by Jonet Miller when she diagnosed an illness as being caused by Jannet Corsan after a quarrel and curse.

Religious Motifs
  • Prayer

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: there was mention that she cured for pay. Quarrel about losing a croft, about refusal of borrowing, inheritance dispute (she wanted a pot and crook), curse with courch removal. Dispute over borrowed cradle.

NameTitleInvolvementNotes
John Carsan of SewickInvestigator
William Greensone of BargattonInvestigator

SourceReferenceNotes
Circuit Court BooksJC10/1 fo. 264v-265r, 267r, 269r
McDowall, W 'History of the burgh of Dumfries' (Edinburgh, 1867), p. 376. The project did not check Larner's reference to this printed secondary source as part of the research.
Circuit Court PapersJC10/5/1
Process NotesJC26/26 Dumfries dittays 1659 (Biggest dittay roll)
Process NotesJC26/26 Dumfries Bundle
Trials (2)
Trial RefDateYearVerdictSentenceExecution
T/LA/1634 No
T/LA/1146 4/4/16591659 GuiltyExecution Yes