Alloa witches

Survey of Scottish Witchcraft trials (1563 to 1736) around Alloa

The persecution of the Alloa witches began in Stirling during the early modern period. ^[1] In 1658, the presbyter Matthias Symson (1625-1664) met with George Bennett, minister of Saint Ninian's, to confer with the persons there apprehended for witchcraft and to try to bring them to confession. On 23 June 1658, the Presbytery held a subsequent meeting to the suspected persons. The first person to go to trial was Margaret Duchill. ^[2] There were a total of 13 people accused of witchcraft from the urban parish, which may include Alloa's adjacent rural area. ^[3]

One important aspect of the Scottish witchcraft trials was the reports of demonic sex. Women were asked about sex with the devil regularly, this was more of an interest of the authorities in deviant sex rather than in the witches' real lives. ^[3]

The Accused

The persecution of alleged witches from Alloa spans 59 years. During this period, 13 people were accused of witchcraft, 12 women and 1 man. ^[4]

1634

• Janet Taylor

1658

• Katherine Remy
• Elizabeth 'Bessie' Paton
• Janet Black
• Margaret Tailyeor
• Margaret Demperston
• Margaret Duchill
• Katherine Kay

1659

• Barbara Erskine
• James Kirk

1662

• Elizabeth Black
• Katherine Black
• Elizabeth Crockatt

References

1. Fergusson, R. Menzies (1906). "The Witches of Alloa". The Scottish Historical Review. 4 (13): 40–48. ISSN   0036-9241. JSTOR   25517800.
2. Black, Geo. F. (1894). "Confessions of Alloa Witches". The Scottish Antiquary, or, Northern Notes and Queries. 9 (34): 49–52. ISSN   2042-0013. JSTOR   25516732.
3. Goodare, Julian, ed. (2013). Scottish Witches and Witch-Hunters. pp. 131, 180. doi:10.1057/9781137355942. ISBN   978-1-349-47033-4.
4. Goodare, Julian; Yeoman, Louise; Martin, Lauren; Miller, Joyce (18 August 2010), Survey of Scottish Witchcraft, 1563 - 1736, University of Edinburgh. School of History, Classics and Archaeology, doi:10.7488/ds/100 , retrieved 20 March 2025