The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

1563-1736

By Julian Goodare, Lauren Martin, Joyce Miller and Louise Yeoman, January 2003

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Case Details

C/EGD/597 Bessie Paine

name of accused
Bessie Paine
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/586
Case date start
no information
Given case date
no information
Case commission
no information
case complaint
no information
case correspondence
no information
case chronicle
no information
other details
no information

characterisation

  • unorthodox religious practise (secondary characteristic)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • folk healing (primary characteristic)
  • white magic (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
She performed many of her healing rituals on holy days.
additional persons
name involvement notes
no additional persons recorded

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
None
  • no information

Demonic pacts

  • no information

witches meetings

Notes
None

Meeting places

  • no information

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Elphane or Fairyland
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Unorthodox religious practice
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Her case is all about healing. She seemed to specialise in healing children and infants. She did many of her cures on the Sabbath and other holy days. Diagnosed bewitchment. A transcription of some of her case is in Larner et al.'s Sourcebook, p. 269. Some of her cures invovled moving the sick child around and putting it in a cradle. She supposedly left her 'witchcraft' on the hearth stone of her former house. The next family that moved in suffered losses to their cattle. She caused a cow to be put through a circle of green yarn for a cure.

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • Diagnose Bewitchment

Elf/fairy elements

  • Thorn Tree
  • Green

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • Herb
  • Hair
  • Nail trimmings
  • Shirt
  • Fire
  • Yarn

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • Candlemas
  • Sabbath

Diseases or illness

  • Animal death
  • Healing humans
  • Healing animals
Notes
She cured cows and children. Also killed a cow.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • Charming
Notes
None

Plea

Claimed bewitched
no
Claimed possessed
no
Admitted lesser charges
no
No defence
no
Claimed natural causes
no
Notes
None
Case Notes
None
references
name notes
Process Notes JC26/38 list of charges not sure if the official dittay. This source is transcribed in Larner et al.'s Sourcebook.