Bothwell and the North Berwick Witches: A Chronology

Edward H. Thompson

11 October 1587 Justiciary Court  Proclamation of a High Court of Justiciary to be held in his Majesty's own presence to travel round the country trying great crimes, among which 'witchcraft' is included. (Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland v. iv p.218)

September 1589 Burntisland-Leith ferry sunk in storm  The storm which impeded the Princess Anne's voyage from Denmark to Scotland was also felt very severely in our country, and a passage-boat between Burntisland and Leith was lost, with ... Lady Mary Melville of Garvock (wife of Sir Andrew Melville, master of King James' household) on board on her way to receive the queen: "She, being willing to mak diligence, wald not stay for for the storm, to sail the ferry; when the vehement storm drave a ship upon the said boat, and drownit the gentlewoman, and all the persons except twa." (Sir James Melville Memoirs quoted in Domestic Annals of Scotland)

Summer 1590 Witchhunt in Denmark  In the summer of 1590 a great witch hunt was instituted in Copenhagen. One of the first victims was Anna Koldings, who under pressure divulged the names of five other women, one of whom was Mail the wife of the burgomaster of Copenhagen. They all confessed that they had been guilty of sorcery in raising storms which menaced Queen Anne's voyage and that they had sent devils to climb up the keel of her ship. In September two women were burnt as witches at Kronborg. (Williams p.38)

23 July 1590 News of witches arrested in Denmark; arrests in Edinburgh
"It is advertised from Denmark, that the admirall there hathe caused five or six witches to be taken in Coupnahaven, upon suspicion that by their witche craft they had staied the Queen of Scottes voiage into Scotland, and sought to have staied likewise the King's retorne." "Sundrie witches were arreigned yesterdaie in this towne, and are found giltie of odious crimes; chefelie that some of them made in wax the image of the yong lard of Wardlhouse, and rosting the image the gentleman pined awaie by sweate as the wax melteth before the fier." (Bowes to Burghley 454)

19 August 1590 Assise re Laird of Wardes fails  "Williame Leslie of Crechie and Violat Auhinlek his spous. Dilatit of the slaughter and distructioun of vmqle Johnne Leslie of Wardes, younger, be Wichcraft ...The Justice, for laik of ane sufficient nowmer of Assysouris, quhairof thair wes ane grit nowmer cassin, continewit the mater ..." Bothwell was one of the "Preloquitouris for the pannell". (Pitcairn)

28 November 1590 King questions witches; account to be published  "The King and Counsaill is occupied with the examinaciouns of sundry witches taken in this contrye, and confessing both great nombers and the names of their fellowes; and also strange and odiouse factes done by them; which upon the full trialls of their causes are intended to be hereafter published. And some of good qualities are like to be blotted by the dealings of the wickett sorte." (Bowes to Burghley 501)

4-5 December 1590 Agnes Sampson Questioned  on 'sundry articles laid to her charge' admitted healing the sick by natural remedies and prayer, helping people who had been bewitched, having dealings with the devil in the form of a dog; confessed to the king that she had been moved to serve the devil by poverty after the death of her husband and received the devil's mark; the devil sometimes took the form of a foal or stag, or a truss of hay; confessed to taking part in assemblies as detailed in later dittays. (WEMS 145-9)

5 December 1590 Geillis Duncan examined described how she, Bessie Thomson, Robert Grierson and Agnes Sampson went out to a ship and were given white wine to drink; described the letter made by John Fian and delivered to other witches at Leith, then baptism of cat to raise storm. (WEMS 151)   

7 December 1590 Agnes Sampson confesses  The King "by his owne especiall travell" has drawn Sampson, the great witch, to confess her wicked doings, and to discover sundry things touching his own life, and how the witches sought to have his shirt or other linen for the execution of their charmes. In this Lord Claud and other noblemen are evill spoken of. The witches known number over thirty, and many others accused." "Their actes are filthy, lewde, and phantasticall." (Bowes to Burghley 505)

November/December 1590 N. Berwick Witches taken, and confess  In the moneths of November and December, manie witches were taikin: Richard Grahame, Johne Sibbet alias Cunninghame, Annie Sampsone, middewife, Jonet Duncan in Edinburgh, Ewfame Makcalzeane, daughter to umquhile Mr Thomas Makalzean, Barbara Naper, spous to Archibald Dowglas of Pergill, Jonet Drummond, a Hieland wife, Katherine Wallace. They conspired the ovethrow of the king and queen's fleete, at their returne out of Denmarke, by raising of stormes upon the seas. Sindrie of the witches confessed they had sindrie times companie with the devill at the kirk of Northberwick, where he appeared to them in the likeness of a man with a redde cappe, and a rumpe at his taill. [and] mad a harangue in maner of a sermoun to them; his text, "Manie goe to the mercat, but all buy not." He found fault with sindrie, that had not done their part in ill. These that had beene bussie in their craft, he said were his beloved, and promised they sould want nothing they needed. Playing to them upon a trumpe, he said , "Cummer, goe yee before; cummer goe ye!" and so they daunced. When they had done, he caused everie one, to the number of threescore, kisse his buttocks. Johne Gordoun, alias called Graymeale, stood behind the doore, to eschew, yitt it behoved him also to kisse at last. John Feane, schoolesmaister of Saltprestoun, confessed he was clerk to their assemblies; yitt at his executioun he confessed onlie he had abused the people that way, and had committed adulterie with two and thrittie weomen, but denied witchecraft. Of Richard Grahame, Ewfame Makcalzeane, and Barbara Naper, we will heare more heerafter. (Calderwood v.5 pp115-6)

7 December 1590 King questions witches  We are now busy examining witches, who confess many strange things. (Roger Aston to James Hudson 507)

26 December 1590 Trial of Fian   (Johnne Feane alias Cwninghame, last duelland in Prestoune)[date of Trial given as November 1590 in Black; note date of execution below]Prosecution by Mr David M'Gill, King's Advocate.. Found guilty of:

1.      while lying in his bed in Tranent in Thomas Trumbill's room, facing the wall and 'mwsand and pansand' on how he might be revenged on Trumbill who had offended him by not cleaning his room as he had promised - was approached by the devil (dressed in white) who said: 'Will ze be my serwand and adore me and my serwandis, and ze shall never want?' and the devil persuaded to burn Trumbill's house for not keeping his promise;

2. according to his own deposition, allowing hmself to be marked by the devil with a rod when he appeared on a second night; pretending to be ill in Trumbill's room, where 'he wes struck in grit extasies and transis; allowing himself to be transported to many mountains, as though through all the world

3. on his own confession, abusing his body with the widow Margaret Spens, promising to marry her but at devil's command refusing to do so;
4. while lying in bed at Prestonpans let himself be carried to North Bewick kirk "quhair Sathane commandit him to mak homage with the rest of his serwandis; quhair he thocht he saw the lycht of ane candill standand in the middis, of his serwandis, quhilk apperit blew low;and Sathan stwid, as in pulpet, makand ane sermond of dowtsum speichis, saying, 'Mony cumis to þe feir, and byis nocht allwares;' and desyrit him 'nocht to feir, thocht he was grymme: fforhe had mony seruandis, quha sould newir want, and sould aill nathing, sa lang as their hair wes one; and sould newir latt ane teir fall fra their ene, sa lang as they seruit him.'; commands to do evil, eat, drink and rejoice;
5. "being in cumpany with Sathane att his conventiounes, quhair he saw Robert Griersoune, Michaell Clark, Annie Sampsoune, with sindrie vtheris; quhair he and all the rest kist him behind, and sum his erse; and at the same tymefor the bewiching and possessing of Williame Hutsoune in Windiegoull, with ane ewill spreit;
6. going to sea with Satan in a boat accompanied by the above-written; and having fore-knowledge of the leak that sprang up in the Queen's ship;
7. "Fylit, for the rasing of wyndis att the Kingis passing to Denmark, and for the sending of ane letter to Marioun Linkup in Leyth, to that effect, bidding hir to meit him and the rest, on the sea, within fyve dayes; quhair Satan delyuerit ane catt out of his hand to Robert Griersoune, gevand the word to 'Cast the same in the see hola!': And thereftir, being mountit in a schip, and drank ilk ane to otheris, quhair Satane said, 'Ye sall sink þe schip;' lykas thay thocht thay did.";
8. meeting with Satan at King's return from Denmark, when Satan promised to raise a mist and wreck the king in England "he tuik ane thing lyke to ane fute-ball, quhilk apperit to the said Johnne lyke a wisp, and caist the same in the see; quhilk causit ane vapour and ane reik to ryis.";
9. being in company with Satan in the Kirk of North Berwick where he appeared in the form of a black man within the pulpit, and after coming out of the kirk "poyntit the graues and stwid aboue thame; quhilkis were opnit in thre sindrie pairtis, two within and ane without; quhilk the wemen demembrit the deid corps and bodeis being thairin, with their gulleis; and incontinent wes transportit, without wordis;"
10. opening locks, especially a lock in David Seton's in Tranent, and "siclyke, for the opening of the said Dauidis foir zett, the key thairof being lyand vpoune the buird at the supper" also opening a lock in David Seaton's mother's by blowing in a woman's hand, himself sitting at the fireside;
11. coming from Patrik Vmphrais son's house in the mylne at night and passing to Tranent on horseback "and ane man with him; be his devilisch craft, raisit vp foure candillis vpoune the horsis two luggis, and ane vthir candill vpoune the staff quhilk the man had in his hand; and gaif sic light, as gif itt had bene day lycht; lyke as, the saidis candillis returnit with the said man, quhill his hamecuming; and causit him to fall deid, at his entre within the hous."
12. bewiching the (said) Williame Hutsoune with an evil spirit which continued with him for twenty-six weeks, and left as soon as he (John Fian) was taken into custody;
13. being in company with Annie Sampson, Robert Grierson, Kate Gray and others on Hallowmas Eve embarked in a boat beside Robert Grierson's house in the Pans and sailed over the sea to a tryst they had with another witch, where they entered a ship and drank good wine and ale in it, thereafter causing theship to sink with the persons in it, then returned home;
14. having moles' feet, given him by Satan, in his purse so as never to lack silver;
15. being in the North Berwick kirk where Satan made a devilish sermon, where the said "Johnne satt vpoune the left syde of the pulpett, narrest him; And the sermon being endit, he cam doune and tuke the said Johnne be the hand, and led him widderschinnis about; and thaireftir, caussit him kyse his erse,"
16. chased cat in Tranent (in chasing the cat he was carried high over the ground, as swiftly and lightly as the cat itself, over a dyke the top of which was beyond his reach) because at a convention held at Brumhoillis, Satan commanded all present to catch cats for throwing into the sea to raise winds for destroying ships and boats;
17. asserting that be could forecast the lifespan of anyone telling him their birth date, and how they would die; told Marioun Weddell that her son would not live 15 days, which came to pass;
18. declared the like to Alexander Bouis wife in Edinburgh and saying her son should be a short while "in hir aught" and he died soon after;
19. receiving the directions and commandments of Satan:first to deny God and all true religion, secondly to give his faith to the Devil and adore him, thirdly he said to the Devil that he should persuade as many as he could to join his society, fourthly he dismembered the bodies of dead corpses and specially unbaptised children, fifthly he destroyed men by land and sea with corn, cattle and goods, and raised tempest and stormy weather as the Devil himself, blowing in the air etc;
20. guilty of being a common witch and enchanter.

Marginal jotting "Convict of diuers poyntis of Wichcraft, and brynt" (Dittay, in Pitcairn VI pp.209-223)

16 December 1590 Cost of Execution of John Fian or Cuninghame   "The executione of Johne Feane, alias Cuninghame, witche, the 16 December

16 December 1590 Cost of Execution of Agnes Sampson Edinburgh Burgh Treasurer's accounts itemise the cost of Agnes Sampson's execution, giving the date as the 16 day of Januar 1590 [OS] 'quha wes burnt' as £6 8s 10d.  

Go to January 1591