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' 1654. 19 March. The session taking to consideration the aforesaid process of Kathrine Key, which had lain so long, for further trial and finding there was no further light to be had in the aforesaid particulars, the process being read over by the minister as it is now extracted the whole Elders in one voice declared it was the very process as it was led on against Kathrine Key, and therefore they thought good it should should be referred to the presbyter: Lykas in one voice they did refer the same to be judged and censured according as they found her fault deserve, and summond Kathrine Key to appear before the presbyter to be held at Cupar the 23 March

May 3, 1655, Mr David Orme reports, that he, with Mr Alexander Balfour, had dealt with Katharine Key and found her sensible of her guiltiness of cursing her minister.
The minister is appointed to intimate to the parish if any had anything concerning witchcraft to object, that they come to the session, and give it in ; and if nothing be found of that kind, she shall declare her repentance in the public place of repentance for cursing.'

3rd June 1655, Kathrine Key appeared before the session having been before the presbytery. The minister declared he was appointed be the presbytery to intimat out of the pulpit about Kathrine Key if any person had any thing to lay to her charge about witchcraft, or relating to they should appear before the session, and thereafter she to be admitted to her repentance for cursing the minister and session if nothing about the former came in against her.'

10 June 1655, the session sitting, the beadle was desired to call at the church door if there were any who had any thing to say against Kathrine Key they should appear, he having called several tymes, and none compelling the session appoints her to appear on the public place of repentance next Sabbath, for cursing the minister and Session.'


24 June 1655. This day Kathrine Key appeared in the place of public repentance for cursing ye minister and session, she declared her grief for the same. No dittay being about her for witchcraft as so is.

It is more than probable that the accused was thus leniently dealt with, from the salutary influence of the judges appointed by Cromwell at this very period to administer the law in Scotland ; they having expressed their determination to inquire into the tortures that were used to extort confession from the unhappy victims of popular superstition. All ' the witches ' in Newburgh did not, however, escape so easily. In ' Lamont's Diary,' under date November 1661, it is recorded, ' This month, the two
woman in the Newburgh that were apprehended above a year ago for burning Mr Lawrence Oliphant, minister of Newburgh's, house, were hanged at Cuper in Fife, being found guilty by the cise ; also they were accused for witchcraft, because delated by some of ther own neighbours in the town, who were brunt a little before this execution ; but the women did confess nether, but still pleaded innocent of both  burning the house and of witchcraft,' A little further on he says, ' 1661, This year there were divers persons both men and women apprehended for witch craft in Lowthian and Edinboroughe, and sundrys of them brunt , also some were taken in Newburgh in Fife and brunt likewise.'

Happily all that remains in this neighbourhood to remind us of the terrible infatuation is the name (fast becoming obsolete) of ' The Witch Wells,' where it is probable the unhappy victims belonging to the parish of Newburgh suffered. The ' Witch "Wells ' were near the farthest off house on the Wodrife Road. There was also ' The Witch Tree,' on the side of the old road beyond Clatchard, now covered over by the line of railway, under whose branches it was firmly believed witches held their nocturnal meetings., (a clootie tree)
The Witches loch above Den of Lindores



i believe Katherine was eventually "wirrit" at the stake a few years later during a witch hunt

Katharine Key

In the minutes of the proceedings of the kirk session of New burgh, there is a record of the examination of a woman, named Katharine Key, on a charge of witchcraft, and ' for cursing the minister.' An imprecation from a reputed witch at that period was heard with dread, and was believed to be followed by certain fulfilment ; Katharine Key was therefore brought to trial, and but for a concurrence of circumstances favourable to her, she would have suffered the same or a worse fate than Grissell Gairdner, for many were burnt alive under the same accusation. No apology is offered for the length to which the account of these trials extends, as authentic records are really the history of the period.

1653 Sep. 4. Katharine Key appointed to be summond against Sunday next for cursing of ye minister because of debarring her from the communion.


Sep. 11, Appeared, Katharine Key denyed that she cursed the minister, but that she cursed these who were the cause of the minister debarring her, nevertheless it was declared by several sitting in the Session “ it was the minister she cursed and openly throughout the street, and upon her bare knees.' ' The minister to which gave in against her that several points had come to his hearing which he desired to be put to trail'

1. That after Katherine had been refused of milk from Christian Orme, or some other in David Orme's house, a cow gave nothing but blood, and being sent for to see the cow, Katherine clapped (clap=stroke) the cow and said “the cow will be well', and thereafter the cow became well.

2. That John Philp having a cow new calved, Katharine Key came in and took furthe a peat fire after which the cow became so sick that none expected it to live, Katharine being sent for to see the cow, she clapped the cow, and said “the cow will be well enough” and the cow became well.'


3. That the minister and his wife (not named!!) took a 3 month old child of theirs from Katharine, who  had been nursing it, after which, the child would “suck none womans breast”, but after the child was brought back again to the said Katharine, it resumed feeding.'                                                                                                                               


4. After once again, removing the child from Katherine the bairn moaned and cried through the night and most the day, until she died, Before Katherine had come to see and embraced the child, the child  was “as well as any bairn could be”.


 5. That she is an evil brut of fame and so was her mother before her.
her mother befoir her was of evil bruit and fame,' was of momentous import ; judge, jury, and people firmly believing that occult powers descended by blood from mother to child.