Bullet point 2 - The widening net

• The case of Agnes Sampson and John Fian

  • After Gilly Duncan
  • Had a long standing reputation as a midwife, healer and cunning woman, the typical suspect
  • King James interrogated her at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh after officials had already found a Devils mark
  • Interrogated with cords twisted tightly around her limbs and kept awake for several days and nights
  • Her charges included: healing the sick, sailing across the sea in a sieve and ordering members of her coven to raise a storm to prevent Anne of Denmark‘s arrival in Scotland
• • James became interested in Sampson’s case late 1590s.
  • He accused her of lying in her confession to raising storms so she took him aside and repeated the words him and Anne had shared in their bedroom. This convinced James.
  • Her knowledge of witchcraft may have come from her experience as a healer.
  • The magistrates agreed Sampson was the leader of a coven.
  • Sampson had travelled more than most as a healer, so her accusations were from varied areas.
  • Those she accused included: Barbara Napier, Richard Graham, and Effie McCaylan.
• • Duncan also accused John Fian, a schoolmaster.
  • Arrested 20th December 1590, and charged with 20 counts of witchcraft and high treason.
  • Tortured to reveal his coven: head twisted with rope, needles under fingernails and boots.
  • His refusal to confess meant more extensive torture.
  • Accused of the same events as Sampson, including: the casting of a cat into sea, treason against James, sorcery and witchcraft etc.
• • John Fian features in ’Newes from Scotland’, but no evidence to suggest he had any involvement in magic.
  • Well educated, rare, owned and taught from Latin and Greek texts, maybe possessed some hidden knowledge.
• The role of the King and Torture

  • James 24 in 1590, experiences made him a suspicious person: childhood marked by political crisis (murder of father, Lord Darnley, forced abdication and exile of mother, Mary Queen of Scots, etc), had reasons to fear nobility and dangerous conspiracies.
  • Brought up by Calvinist tutors, appeased Catholic nobility.
• • As the accused had been charged with attempting to harm him and his new Queen, he took personal interest.
  • Sampsons case brought reason to storms him and Anne had faced.
  • James approved torture of accused and questioned many himself after Sampson stated the Devil had told her the King and all of Scotland would be destroyed.
  • Given his concerns with plots against himself, as well as his genuine belief in divine right of King’s, his enthusiasm can be more easily understood.
• • His involvement also assisted his political cause, ‘Newes from Scotland’ presented him as a godly Protestant who was concerned with defending his people from the same threats faced by the English.
  • At the end, the author concludes James was protected from the witches because he was a devout Christian.
  • His passion was undermined in the case of Barbara Napier, who was initially acquitted. James arranged for the jurors to be tried for their error.
• • James approved of all torture: Duncan subject to horrendous torture from David Seaton, Sampson had thumbscrews, boots and cords.
  • In Scotland torture could only be used if sanctioned by the Privy council, but James’ involvement ensured it was used widely.
• The involvement of the Earl of Bothwell

  • Francis Stewart, first cousin of James.
  • Was trusted to become James’ military commander and member of the Privy council, rising to the office of the Lord High Admiral.
  • He became involved in a number of plots: 1583, tried to oust royal favourite, the Earl of Arran and was placed under house arrest; 1587, openly criticised James for not preventing the execution of Mary Queen of Scots; 1589, found guilty of treason.
• • Unlikely that Sampson knew Bothwell, but did confess that she’d asked her divine how long James would live, and to predict what would happen after his death.
  • Richard Graham also accused Bothwell of being involved in the conspiracy.
  • Bothwell was arrested 15th April 1591 and held at Edinburgh Castle.
  • James had a clear dislike for Bothwell, but he may have had genuine reason to believe that he was involved.
  • As an admiral, Bothwell had suggested that James make the journey to collect Anne himself, automatically implicating him.
  • James in fear of Bothwell.
• • April 1591, Bothwell was summoned before the Privy Council. He strongly denied any involvement, but was held at Edinburgh Castle to await trial.
  • He escaped in June and entered Holyrood Castle to reconcile with James. Before this, a royal proclamation had been issued, publicly accusing Bothwell of being in league with the Devil, depriving him of all titles and declaring him an outlaw.
  • Spent next months in hiding, James tried to pursue him.
• • Bothwell unsuccessfully attacked Holyrood Palace 27th December.
  • April 1592, the Privy Council found him guilty of witchcraft.
  • June he made another attempt to capture the King, accompanied by more armed supporters, before fleeing again, and between July and October 1592, many of Bothwell’s supporters were charged.
  • As the net closed around him, Bothwell took the decision on 24th July 1593 to enter James’ chamber at Holyrood to plead with the king in person.
  • James attempted to flea to the Queen’s bedroom.
• • James was supposed to have remarked what they could kill him, but could never take his soul.
  • His fear of Bothwell was as a magician.
  • Although James was left shaken by the incident, he seems to have been convinced of Bothwell’s innocence.
  • Bothwell received an official pardon and in August a farcical trial was held to clear Bothwell of the original witchcraft charges.
• • Bothwell seems to have had the upper hand during his trial, he persuaded James of his innocence and he now filled Edinburgh with his armed supporters as a show of strength.
  • Defended himself, and presented the accusations as a deliberate attempt to politically undermine him.
  • He threatened to have witnesses who could testify that they were threatened with torture if they did not implicate him in the plot against James.
  • Fearful of Bothwell’s growing influence, James withdrew his pardon and proclaimed that Bothwell would have to go into exile and was forbidden from approaching the king again.
• • Bothwell attempted one last uprising and joined a group of rebels in Linlithgow.
  • They attacked the kings forces at Leith March 1594.
  • Unsuccessful, so he withdrew to the English boarder , spent time in France, Spain and Italy before dying in Naples in 1612.
• Impact of the confessions, trials and executions

  • Judicial proceedings against the suspected witches began 1590 and lasted 3 years.
  • 70 people implicated in total, the initial arrests took place November 1590 and trials began January 1591.
  • Number of the accused fled to England, James instructed Seaton to recapture them.
  • At least one woman was tracked and extradited to Scotland, where she was tortured and confessed more names.
• • The fate of the most high profile witches is known: Gilly Duncan (hanged), John Fian (executed and burned), Agnes Sampson (same as Fian), Barbara Napier’s (execution cancelled when she was pregnant), Effie McCaylan (declared innocence).
  • Some also accused are: Margaret Acheson (Napier and Sampson), Meg Bogtourn.