Legal Scepticism before Holt: Sir George Mackenzie
Became concerned with the legitimacy of witchcraft trials after the scottish witch-hunt
Published 'Laws and Customs of Scotland in Matters Criminal' in 1687
Believed witchcraft was possible but most accused were not witches
True witches deserved punishment but blame should be laid on judges who find innocent people guilty
Believed in traditional view of witches as people who had been deceived
Doubted devil would offer witches
Normal legal procedures not followed and torture used to gain confessions
Promoted to Lord Advocate in 1677
Freed a number of suspected witches
Threw out cases involving torture
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John Holt
Liked by James and was knighted
Helped with negotiations for transition of power between Catholic James II and Protestant William III
Career preserved in Francis Hutchinson's 'An Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft'
Saw 11 or 12 trials and resulted each in an aquittal
One was the case of Mother Munnings and he refused to accept evidence from a man returning from an alehouse
Elizabeth Horner aquitted, accused of possessing three children, with one being seen walking nine feet up a wall
Sarah Murdock aquitted and was faced with serious opposition. Holt willing to put accuser on trial for fraudulently claiming witchcraft shows his scepticism
Predecessor, Matthew Hale was willing to accept dubious testimonies to secure convictions
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The Last Executions and end of legislation
Last witch to be executed was Alice Molland who was hanged
One final execution in Scotland was Janet Horne who was burned
1736 Government repealed the 1604 Witchcraft act
Little opposition to the decision
Witchcraft act passed aimed at punishing fraudulent cases and also declared magic and witchcraft were not real
1751, Ruth Osborne was attacked by an angry mob who accused her of witchcraft and she was dragged into a pond for the swimming test. She drowned after being thrown in and her husband was beaten to death
One ringleader, Thomas Colley was arrested and executed for the murder of Osborne
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