Satan's Invisible World Discovered /

by George Sinclair

The next day following, James Dunlop of Househill, and Ludowick Stewart of Achinhood, with some of Sir George’s servants, went to Stewart’s house, taking the little girl with them, resolving to make a very exact trial, that it might not be said, that the dumb girl had brought any thing hither. Wherefore they caused John Stewart himself to light a candle and hold it, while Ludowick Stewart, and another did, in his sight, lift the clay effigy from among the bedstraw, beneath the bolster (the little girl all the while standing at a distance from the place), but the picture having been made only three or four days before, and not sufficiently hard, did break into two pieces. In it were three pins, one in each side, and one in the breast. Stewart had nothing to say for himself, but that he knew not who had put that thing there. He was instantly apprehended, and so was a little sister of his, lately entered into the fourteenth year of her age, named Annabil Stewart, who was said to have whispered before somewhat of the waxen effigy. This poor creature proved thereafter, through God’s favour, a key to the detection of making both the pictures.

At first she was very obstinate, but the next day she confessed, “That being present in her brother’s house the 4th of January, while the clay picture was formed, the Black Gentleman being present, (which was the name she gave the devil) together with Bessie Weir, Marjory Craig, Margaret Jackson, and her brother John.” But when confronted with her brother, she did not with confidence adhere to her confession. Upon the finding of this picture Sir George did very observably recover in his health, and all the pain, which was in his side did, by degrees, wear away.

John Stewart remained, notwithstanding his sister’s confession, above measure obstinate, until he was searched the next day for insensible marks, whereof he had great plenty. At the finding whereof, he was so confounded, that immediately he confessed his paction with the devil, and almost all the other heads exprest in his judicial confession after-written; and declared, “That his accomplices who formed the effigy with him were the same his sister had named.” She also came to a free and full confession of her paction with the devil, and her accession to the forming both of the waxen pictures in her mother’s house, and of the clay one in her brother’s house.

Upon information of the premises, the Earl of Dundonald and the Lord Ross, granted a warrant for apprehending Bessie Weir, Margaret Jackson, and Marjory Craig, who had been fellow sisters in the aforesaid sorcery.

Margaret Jackson, a woman aged about fourscore of years, after a day or two, confessed paction with the devil, and her accession to the making of both the pictures, and condescended upon the complices above named. Many insensible marks were found on her body.

Upon the 17th of January last, a third portrait of clay was found under Janet Mathie’s bolster in the prison house of Paisley, which the dumb girl had given information of. But it seemed to be the picture of some woman, and probably of some of the family of Pollock. For Annabil Stewart did freely declare, “That their malice was against the whole family of Pollock.” For turning to young Pollock and his Lady, she said, “and against you also.” This portrait was found before four famous witnesses.

The Lords of his Majesty’s privy council, being informed of these pictures and effigies, the depositions of three confessing Witches being sent, did grant a commission for their trial, and also for the trial of the other three that were obstinate. And in regard of the singularity of the case, they ordered the process to be very solemn, commissioning for the trial some judicious gentlemen in the country, viz. Sir Patrick Gauston of Gauston, James Brisbond of Bishoptoun, Sir John Shaw younger of Greenock, and John Anderson younger of Dovehill. To whom they added Mr. John Preston advocate, (a gentleman well seen in criminals, and who exercised the office of justice depute for several years), a sine qua non in the commission. And that the whole process might be the more exact, they appointed George Lord Ross assessor, with power to vote and decide. And further ordered Mr. Robert Martain, clerk to the justice court, to be clerk to the process, which was to be recorded in the public books of adjournal.

The commissioners of justiciary held their first court at Paisley, the 27th of January; before whom Annibal Stewart deponed, “That in harvest last, the devil, in the shape of a Black Man, had come to her mother’s house, and required the deponent to give herself up to him; and that the devil promised she should not want any thing that was good: That being enticed by her mother Janet Mathie, and Bessie Weir, who was officer to their several meetings, she did put her one hand to the crown of her head, and the other to the sole of her foot, and did give up her soul and body (wholesale here is bad sale) to the devil: That her mother promised her a new coat for the doing of it: That the new name the devil gave her was Annipy: That he took her by the hand, and nipped her arm, which continued to be sore for the space of half an hour: That the devil, in the shape of a Black Man, lay with her in the bed, under the clothes: That she found him cold: That thereafter he placed her nearest to himself: That she was present in her mother’s house where the picture of wax was made; and that it was made to represent Sir George Maxwell of Pollock: That the Black Man, Janet Mathie her mother, whose name from the devil, was Land’s Lady, Bessie Weir, whose name was Sopha, Marjory Craig, whose name was Rigern, Margaret Jackson, whose name was Locas, were all present at the forming and making of the said effigy: That they bound it on a spit, and turned it about before the fire; and that it was turned by Bessie Weir, saying, as she turned it, ‘Sir George Maxwell, Sir George Maxwell,’ which was exprest by all of them: That this picture was made in October last.”—“That upon the 3d day of January following, Bessie Weir came to her mother’s house, and advertised her to come to her brother John Stewart’s house, the following night at 12 o’clock; and that accordingly she came to the place, where she found Bessie Weir, Marjory Craig, Margaret Jackson, her brother John Stewart, and a man with black clothes, a blue band, and white hand-cuffs, with hoggars on his feet, and that his feet were cloven: That she sat down at the fire-side with them, where they made the picture of clay, and placed pins in the breast and in the sides: That they did place pins into the picture of wax, one in every side: That the Black Man did put the pins into the picture of wax, but is not sure who did thrust them into the picture of clay: That the pictures produced are the pictures she saw made: That the Black Man’s name was Ejoal.”

This declaration was made before famous witnesses, subscribed by the two notary public for her, Robert Park younger, Patrick Carswel in Paisley, and subscribed by the commissioners.

John Stewart did judicially depone before the justices, “That upon the 3d of January instant, Bessie Weir in Pollock-town, came to him late at night. He being without doors at his own house, that she did intimate unto him, that there was a meeting to be at his house, the next night; and that the devil, in the shape of a Black Man, Margaret Jackson, Marjory Craig, and the said Bessie Weir, were to be present; and that Bessie Weir required him to be present, which he promised to do: That the next night, after he had gone to bed, the Black Man came in, and called him quietly by his name, upon which he arose from his bed, and put on his clothes: That Margaret Jackson, Bessie Weir, and Marjory Craig, did enter in at the window, in the gavel of his house; and that the first thing that the Black Man required was, that he should renounce his baptism, and deliver up himself wholly unto him, putting one of his hands on the crown of his head, and the other to the sole of his foot, and that he was tempted hereunto by the devil, promising he should not want any pleasure; and that he should get his heart sythe on all that should do him wrong: That the new name given to him by the devil was Jonas: That thereafter the devil required every one of their consents for the making an effigy of clay, for taking away the life of Sir George Maxwell of Pollock, to revenge the taking of his mother Janet Mathie: That every one of the persons above named, did give their consent to the making of the said effigy; and that they wrought the clay; and that the Black Man did make the figure of the head and face, and the two arms to the said effigy: That the devil set three pins in the same, one in each side, and one in the breast; and that the said John did hold the candle all the while the picture was a-making: That he observed one of the Black Man’s feet to be cloven, and his apparel was black, and he had a blue band about his neck, white hand-cuffs, and hoggars upon his legs without shoes; and that the Black Man’s voice was hollow and ghostly: That after they had begun to form the picture, his sister Annibal, (a child of 13 or 14 years of age) came knocking to the door; and she being let in by him, stayed with them a considerable time; but that she went away before the rest, he having opened the door unto her: That the rest went out at the window, through which they entered: That the picture was placed by Bessie Weir in his bedstraw.” Further confessed, “That she had envy and malice against the said Sir George, her quarrel being, as she conceived, that Sir George had not entered her husband to his harvest service: That the effigy was made upon the 4th of January last; and the devil’s name amongst them was Ejoal: That the new name given to himself was Jonas, and Bessie Weir’s name, who was officer, was Sopha; that Margaret Jackson’s name from the devil was Locas; and that his sister’s name was Annipy; but doth not remember what Marjory Craig’s name was.” This confession had the same solemnities which the former had.