One of the most famous of the Scottish witchcraft trials, with 11 executions (see first image below)
Ref:
https://journals.socantscot.org/index.php/psas/article/download/6264/6233/6222Note: this link gives an instant download of a small pdf of the trial proceedings.Agnes Drysdale was implicated in the 1662 Crook of Devon Witchcraft trials but apparently managed to avoid the fate which was meted out to 11 of her contempories:
viz.
......
..to be taken away to that place called Lamblaires bewest the Cruik Miln
the place of their execution tomorrow.... betwixt two and three hours in the afternoon,
and there to be strangled to the death by the hand of the hangman and thereafter their
bodies to be burnt to ashes for their trespasses. .....
The purpose of this post is to request help in understanding the 1622 marriage record of Agnes Drysdale & John Blackwood (see second image below).
The record seems quite straightforward in that on 24 February 1622 John Blakwod of Coldrain is being married to Agnes Drysdell from
dollar?? with maybe some witnesses (see red arrow), But towards the bottom of the image there seems to be another entry for Agnes Drysdell (see red underline) am I correct in seeing this second entry and if so what is it for?
Any help would be appreciated.
Some extracts from the trial proceedings are copied here for info:
PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ROBERT WILSON
........Lykeways that ye confessed ye had ane meeting with the Devil at the
Stanriegate, bewest the Cruick of Devon, where the Devil desired you to be
his servant and renounce your Baptism whilk ye refused to do at that time;
and that the Devil was riding on ane horse with fulyairt clothes and ane
Spanish cape and that there was with you at that meeting, Bessie Keil in
Gelvin, Marget Hoggan......Christian Young, spouse to James Bennet there;
Agnes Beveridge, in Broughty; Marget Beveridge, there; her sister Agnes
Drysdale, spouse to John Blackwood of Coldrain, riding on ane brown horse
and ane old black plaid about her. This ye said to be on Wednesday about
Yule last, two hours before day, and that the Devil appointed them to meet
at the Bents of Balruddrie on Friday thereafter.
PROCEEDINGS AGAINST MARGARET HUGGON and JANET PATON
Ye both are indyted and accused for suamickle as by Divine law of the
Almighty God set down in his sacred word, especially in the 18 chap, of Deut.
and 30 chap, of Lev., made against the users and practisers of witchcraft,
sorcerie, charming and soothsaying, against the seekers of help or responses
of them, and in the 22 chap, of Exodus at the 18 verse, "Thou shalt not suffer
a witch to live" threatening and denouncing to the committers of such Devilish
practises the punishment of death........
.......Likeways ye confessed that Sathan desired you to renounce and forsake
your Baptism whilk ye lykways did, and immediately after your renunciation
of your baptism he gave you a new name.....
.......Lykeways ye confessed that Sathan had copulation with you, and that his
body was cold and his seed also, and said he was an uncouth man with black
cloathes and ane hood on his head........
.......Ye confessed lykways that ye was at another meeting with Sathan at the
Stanriegait bewest the Cruik of Devon with the foresaid six deceased women,
and Elspet Dempster spouse to James Beverage, Agnes Drysdale,
spouse to John Blackwood of Coldrain...........
One of the reasons for concluding that Agnes Drysdell managed to escape being punished for witchcraft is that she appears to be an executor for her husband John Blackwood's estate after his death in 1668.
The final paragraph of his testament is copied below (see third inage):
Again, any help with the text here would be much appreciated
Many thanks & best regards
