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/604 Janet McNicol

name of accused
Janet McNicol
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/593
Case date start
22/1/1662
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)
  • demonic (secondary characteristic)
  • demonic (primary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Confession of pact.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Devil in the form of a leper which she confessed she knew to be an evil spirit. In 1662 she confessed that she met 2 men, one was a gross copperfaced man whom she knew was an evil spirit, the other was a well favoured young man.
  • Male leper
  • Male gross copperfaced man
  • Male well-favoured young man

Demonic pacts

  • New name Mary Lykeas
  • Anti-baptism
  • Want nothing
  • Servant

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
Confessed that she met others at Bute Quay and she fell in the water but the good looking man pulled her out.

Meeting places

  • Bute Quau Shore

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Unorthodox religious practice
Notes
None

Counter strategies

  • no information

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • no information

Ritual objects

  • no information

Religious motif

  • no information

Calendar customs

  • Halloween
  • All Saints Day

Diseases or illness

Notes
confessed several acts of malefice but no details.

Cause of witch's malice

  • no information

Other maleficia

Damage to property

  • no information

weather modification

  • no information

Notes
None

Other charges

  • no information

Notes
None

Plea

Claimed bewitched
no
Claimed possessed
no
Admitted lesser charges
no
No defence
no
Claimed natural causes
no
Notes
None
Case Notes
Initally accused in 1662.
references
name notes
Highland Papers Vol III, pp 13-14, 26 J K Hewison, Isle of Bute in the Olden Tyme, Edinburgh, 1893-5, vol. 2 p. 262-263.
Argyll Justiciary Records Vol 1, p 20-1. The volume of Argyll Justiciary Records gives some details about accusation, trial and verdict.