Document of the Month - March 2008
Charges of Witchcraft brought against Isobel Strathanchyn, February 1597
© Aberdeen City Council
This month’s highlighted document is an extract from a list of charges of witchcraft brought against Isobel Strathanchyn or Scudder. She faced a number of charges, and the image above highlights just one of them.
Along with creating a love potion, she is also accused of breaking the wheels of a mill in revenge after the miller had refused to give her any meal. It is also alleged that she took the bones of the dead from the kirkyard at Dyce, washed them in water which was then used to clean a sick man in Hatton of Fintray. To complete the 'spell' the bones were then cast into the River Don, causing the water to rumble as if all the hills had fallen in. Another accusation against her was that she had managed to cure diseased sheep in Gartly by using witchcraft.
Isabel was found guilty and sentenced to death. Other records in the City Archives detail what was used to carry this out. It seems that Isabel and another woman, Katherine Fergus, were executed together. Payments for the items used include £1 12 shillings for four tar barrels, 6 shillings 8 pence for two iron barrels, 13 shillings 4 pence for the stake and for someone to carry it and set it up and 6 shillings for six fathoms of tow, or rope, which would have been used either to tie them to the stake inside the tar barrels, or to drag them through the streets before the execution. Twenty six loads of peat to burn them were paid for at a cost of £2 13 shillings and 4 pence.
For a transcription and translation of the image, please click here (opens in PDF)
If you wish a copy of this image, please contact us for further information.
Return to Document of the Month
Return to Archives Home
