Moorheid,Helen
Case Reference: C/EGD/797
Case Summary
| Case Ref | C/EGD/797 |
|---|---|
| Accused | Helen Moorheid |
| Case Start Date | 4/4/1659 |
| Case Date | 5/4/1659 |
| Age at Case | 51 |
| Common Name | Moorheid,Helen |
|---|
Characterization
| Type | Primary | Secondary |
|---|---|---|
| Maleficium | — | ✓ |
| Neighbourhood Dispute | ✓ | ✓ |
| Property Motive | — | ✓ |
Notes: Seems to be all about cursing and scolding followed by disease, but impossible to say for certain because the record in the Circuit Court is just witness ratifications of their depositions in court. Have more detail in the JC26 documents, which do show a strong neighbourhood dispute theme. She was accused by her brother-in-law after her husband's death when she wanted liferent, it seems their was also a dispute about her inheritance.
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: This one seems to be all about cursing and scolding followed by disease. Her sister and brother-in-law died, childbirth problems. She killed her eldest in favour of her next son. Took a woman's milk. Killed with bitter imprecations. Flyting
| Source | Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Circuit Court Books | JC10/1 fo. 265r-266r, 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 Papers | JC10/15/1 | |
| Process Notes | JC26/26 Dumfries dittays 1659 (Biggest dittay roll) | |
| Process Notes | JC26/26 Dumfries bundle |
Trials (2)
Case Notes
There was a dispute over her terce, she wanted the liferent of her dead husband's land and the half mark of her brother in law. It was her brother who accused her of witchcraft! She was also accused of causing harm to a man who had gotten her sister pregnant and then married another.