Wharrie,Janet

Case Reference: C/JO/3025

Case Summary
Case RefC/JO/3025
AccusedJanet Wharrie
Case Start Date21/9/1697
Case Date7/11/1699
Common NameWharrie,Janet
Characterization
TypePrimarySecondary
Maleficium
Neighbourhood Dispute

Notes: Wharrie took the case herself to presbytery. She tied to prove that the witnesses had malice against her. Witnesses claimed that she had cursed them after they had refused to help her with ploughing or prevented her from crossing their land. It seems that the presbytery were not convinced by Wharrie's version but could not really do much with her.

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

Notes: It was cliamed that she cursed and swore at her victims.

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: Witnesses claimed she cursed and uttered an 'ill prayer' that a neighbour's wife 'would have many a bloody day'. Also cows would vomit their grass or rowt/rout (bellow) to death. Also wished a man to take the glengore (syphilis).

Other Maleficia Notes: Wharrie asked neighbours to help with ploughing. When they refused they claimed she cursed their beasts and ploughs so that they could not use them to plough their own rigs.

Property Damage Types
  • Animals
  • Plough

  • Grudge

NameTitleInvolvementNotes
Robert Paton MrInvestigator
John Somerville MrInvestigator
Alexander Veitch MrInvestigator

SourceReferenceNotes
Dumfries Presbytery recordsCH2/1284/4, pp. 99, 101, 102,108, 178.
Trials (1)
Trial RefDateYearVerdictSentenceExecution
T/JO/1290 No