The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft

1563-1736

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

The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft logo

Case Details

C/EGD/160 Isobell Young

name of accused
Isobell Young
designated title
no information
Accused Reference
A/EGD/149
Case date start
17/1/1619
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)
  • folk healing (secondary characteristic)
  • maleficium (secondary characteristic)
  • Implicated by another (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (secondary characteristic)
  • neighbourhood dispute (primary characteristic)
Characterisation Notes
Almost all of the accusations involved magical harm after quarrels about business type things.

Qualitative information

Non-natural beings

Notes
Only a few mentions of the Devil and they are very vague.
  • Unspecified Devil

Demonic pacts

  • Anti-baptism
  • Devil's Mark on left papie

witches meetings

  • Witches meeting
  • Devil present
Notes
Young was described as a special commander at the Devil's meeting.

Meeting places

  • Dounhill of Spott Hilltop
  • Madeis Loupe

musical instruments

  • no information

Folk culture

  • Specific Verbal Formulae
  • Specific ritual acts
  • Shape changing
  • Unorthodox religious practice
  • Sympathetic magic
Notes
Her sons had to do penance for charming for conducting a ritual to cure their cattle with a special flask of water given to them by the mistress of Leyis. She was accused of using a specific ritual that involved taking off her hat and walking around with it counter-clockwise (withershins)

Counter strategies

  • Community Healer

white magic

  • no information

Elf/fairy elements

  • no information

Shape-changing

  • Animal Hare
  • Vision to a drunken stable hand

Ritual objects

  • Yarn
  • Cat
  • Salt
  • Lee Penny
  • Flask of Water

Religious motif

  • Flask of Water

Calendar customs

  • Martinmas

Diseases or illness

  • Human illness
  • Human death
  • Animal illness
  • Animal death
  • Transferring disease
  • Quarreling
  • Cursing
  • Healing humans
  • Healing animals
Notes
Illnesses tended to follow quarrels with Young about business affairs

Cause of witch's malice

  • Slander
  • Failed business interaction

Other maleficia

  • Property damage
  • Weather modification

    • Damage to property

    • Ale
    • Animals
    • Boats
    • Crops
    • Dairy
    • Fishing
    • Whole Estate

    weather modification

    • Storm
    Notes
    burned a field of corn

    Other charges

    • Cursing
    Notes
    None

    Plea

    Claimed bewitched
    no
    Claimed possessed
    no
    Admitted lesser charges
    no
    No defence
    no
    Claimed natural causes
    no
    Notes
    She used the common defence strategy of trying to discredit the witnesses.
    Case Notes
    In Oswald's trial (C/EDG/162) it says that her dittay was given in by Robert Sandie mekill.
    references
    name notes
    SJC v I, pp. 96-120 The manuscript reference for this case is NAS JC2/6 fo. 264r-273r; 273v-277v[find the full folio reference!!], Also found in the High Court Record Index, no. 1 for 4/2/1629.
    RPC 2nd S v3, p. 4 Order for central justiciary trial
    RPC 2nd S, v2 p. 540 None
    Edinburgh Town Treasurer's Accounts ECA, Town Treasurer's Accounts vol. 5 (1623-1636), 1628-9 p. 598 record of her execution
    Tyninghame Kirk Session minutes CH2/359/1 fo. 60r. mention of Isobell being investigated by the Tyninghame minister.
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 1, Issobel Young bundle None
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 3, Issobel Young bundle draft version of the books of adjournal, with assize deliberation notes.
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 4, 10, Issobel Young bundle Interrogation of Issobel
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 5, Issobel Young bundle witness depositions taken by the Presbytery of Dunbar.
    Process Notes JC26/9 item 6, 7, Issobel Young bundle List of witnesses to be called
    Process Notes JC26/9 items 8, 9, 12, 13, Issobel Young bundle details of witness statements. Item 12 is the testimony of a folk healer.
    Process Notes JC26/9 items 11, 14, 15, Issobel Young bundle Procedural notes - item 11, order for High Court trial and arrest warrant. Item 14, Trial date set. item 15, order for assize to appear