1.3 The Reasons for the Extent of Persecutions in Scotland to 1597 Flashcards
(19 cards)
the general commission 1591-1597
what are the debates around the ‘general commission’
- Christina Larner suggested it was established in the closing stages, but miscarriages of justice caused it to be revoked
- Jenny Wormald suggested it began later, 1592
- Julian Goodare questions whether it existed at all
the general commission 1591-1597
October 1591
- 5 jusges named on a commission, and given a commission would allow them to torture at will
- mid-1592 the king gave commissions to nobles and magistrates for the investigation of witchcraft
the general commission 1591-1597
1596
- james requests commissions should be submitted to the privy council not himself
- the privy council gave one to Sir William Steward to investigate witchcraft, murder, and theft
the general commission 1591-1597
1595 Alison Balfour and Patrick Stewart
- tortured for 2 days without a warrant
- her 81 year old husband, her son, and 7 year old daughter were also tortured
- she was accused of being hired by Patrick Stewart to poison his brother
- she was executed despite recanting her confession
the general commission 1591-1597
After 1597
- privy council reduced the number of commissions
the witch hunt of 1597
How did it begin? who was Janet Wishart?
- she was accused of raising storms, causing injury and death to victims with several accomplices and was executed
- By October after her execution, it had spread beyond Aberdeen, to Fife, Perthshire and Stirlingshire
the witch hunt of 1597
who was Margaret Aitken?
- accused many people
- she was arrested in April
- agreed to assist the authorities in identifying offenders, but they became suspicious when she started accusing people who she previously claimed were innocent
the witch hunt of 1597
what was the atmosphere surrounding the witch hunt of 1597
- mostly took place at a local level, so not as well documented as Berwick
- came at a time of poor harvest and widespread disease
- local officials would rely on unreliable witnesses, perhaps contributing to increased executions
Lack of strong central control
relationship between the Kirk and James I?
1596
- reports of him growing dissatisifed with the church for not doing enough to deal with witchcraft, and the kirk had a vested interest in ensuring james failed
- in 1596 James was unwilling to take action agaisnt Catholics in Scotland, and Presbyterians (protestants) believed he should be subject to their authority as they believed he was not appointed by God.
Lack of strong central control
what was the structure of the hunt? how did this make it more difficult to track?
- they were under the authority of a royal commission, but the trials were caried out often by local officials and there were no instructions on how to do so
- in the Highlands, reports to the privy council were limited.
Lack of strong central control
Bothwell’s role in the lack of control?
- he could make a claim to the scottish throne as long as James didn’t have an heir.
- Sampson confessed she had constructed a wax image of James at the behest of Bothwell
the publication of Daemonologie
What is the setup in King James’ Daemonologie?
- Philomathes: sceptic of magic and witchcraft
- Epistemon: enlightens Philomathes on the subject
the publication of Daemonologie
what points did Daemonologie cover?
- both characters agree the devil is extremely powerful and a danger on Earth
- attempted to prove both necromancers and witches have a close association and allegieance to the Devil
- he describes practices witches engage with
- covens were protestant rituals
- the devil can only do so much, God limited the Devil’s power
the publication of Daemonologie
James I’s guide to identifying witches: DM, ST, DP, W
- Devil’s mark was highly regarded
- swimming test could be effective, but was used overwhelmingly in England rather than Scotland
- Demonic Posession: easy to identify, can be cured in fasting and prayer
- women: much more vulnerable to the Devil, and easily led astray (Eve in the Garden of Eden)
the publication of Daemonologie
summary of Daemonologie?
- witches should be prosecuted
- anyone denying the existence of witches have been led astray
- perhaps in league with the witches themselves
How far was James responsible for the persecutions of the 1590s?
what does its publishing date suggest?
- it was an immediate reaction to the trials of that year
James Interests in the Stirlingshire panic, 1597
16 September 1597: What did James order?
the role of Patrick Heron, the Menteith family
- Magistrates of Stirling send an unnamed suspected witch to him
- recently had her skin pricked apart as part of investgations
- Patrick Heron and his wife were accused by this unnamed witch, and they were in a property dispute with Sir William Menteith and his son
- Menteith family probably arrested the suspected witch with the intention of forcing her to confess and accuse the Herons
- Heron fled, and wsa prosecuted by the Menteith Family.
- the case was reignited in response to a letter from the king
Later scepticism
what made James sceptical of witchcraft?
- the miscarriages of justice in 1597
- he seemed more concerned with discovering fradulent witches than those using real powers
- he wrote a letter to his eldest son, Prince Henry, congratulating him on uncovering a false witch
conclusion: why was witch hunting so widespread between 1590 and 1597
5 key points
J, WM, W/ND, SF, JS
- James: local officials could do what they wanted
- weak monarchy: It is impossible to ascertain how involved Bothwell was, but he had designs on the throne
- weather/natural disasters: storms 1590-1591 and 1597 with famine and disease
- social factors: scotland was more patriarchal, and believed in folk magic
- Judicial system: less control from central government, meaning miscarriages of justice were more likely to take place.
