User:Catfish Jim and the soapdish/Forfar
The Forfar witch-trials were a series of trials that took place in Forfar, Angus, Scotland in 1661. A number of women were tried for witchcraft and nine were executed.
- Helen Guthrie 1
- Elspet Alexander 1
- Helen Alexander 1 2
- Joanet Stout 1
- John Tailzour 1
- Ketheren Portour 1
- Joanet Howit 2 (daughter of Helen Guthrie)
- Isabell Shyrie 2
- Mary Rind 2
- Isabel Durward
First confession of Helen Guthrie
[edit]This took place in September 1661. The confession, signed by Helen Guthrie, states that:
- She had lived a wicked life, was given to cursing and to drunkeness.
- She was a witch and she learned her craft from Janet (Joanet) Galloway from Kirriemuir.
- Her curses against people usually worked.
- She can tell a witch within 24 hours using 3 pieces of paper with blood on them, received 14 years previously from Joanet Galloway.
- She can tell the witchcraft of others
- That the devil came to her in prison on 15 September 1661 and made her fly about the room.
- She had other things to confess
Confession of Joanet Howit
[edit]- Anderson, Joseph (1888), "The confessions of the Forfar witches (1661), from the original documents in the society's library." (PDF), Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 22: 241–262, retrieved December 12, 2010
- "Loch memorial to Forfar witches", Kirriemuir Herald, May 13, 2010, retrieved December 12, 2010