The North Berwick Witches in Scotland 1590-91 and the aftermath to 1597
- Created by: amysalmon_
- Created on: 09-03-19 10:14
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- North Berwick witches in Scotland, 1590-91 and the aftermath 1597
- Why did persecutions begin?
- Witchcraft Act 1563 passed under Mary Queen of Scots
- Gilly Duncan's confession
- James' voyage to Denmark is driven back by storms
- before his voyage, the act was rarely enforced
- James met courtiers who held strong beliefs in group witch trials and theologian Neils Hemmingsen
- Scotland may have been infleunced by other witch hunts like the one carried out by Lutheran Bishop Peter Palladius
- Anna Koldings
- authorities looked for other explanations before turning to witchcraft
- what was the impact of confessions, trials and executions?
- Agnes Sampson
- Interrogated and examined by James himself
- John Fian
- Newes from Scotland
- James took a personal interest
- childhood marked by political crisis
- the accused were charged with attempting to harm him
- Grew up in religiously charged environment
- use of torture to gain confessions
- Earl of Bothwell
- 70 people implicated in total
- Agnes Sampson
- why were the persecutions widespread?
- Judges given permission to torture at will
- lack of general commission in regards to witchcraft
- cases should be submitted to the Privy council from 1596 onwards
- case of Alison Balfour explains why commissions reduced after 1597
- reports to them were limited
- Janet Wishart's claims of witches in 1597 raised suspicion
- Poor harvest and weather conditions led to more accusations
- judicial procedures meant disgruntled local witnesses were often relied on
- The Kirk had a vested interest in ensuring James failed
- trials often carried out by local officials with no instructions from central government
- Lack of central control
- Publication of Daemonologie
- Scotland was highly patriarchal
- Why was it more widespread and severe in comparison to England?
- Monarchy was relatively weak
- Fewer royal agents at the monarch's disposal so officials could pursue witch-hunts without interference
- Simple majority needed to find a suspect guilty
- Protestant reformation on stricter, Calvanist lines
- Scotland was relatively poor
- Witch's get
- Deeply held belief in fairies and folk magic
- Why did persecutions begin?
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