An 18th century witch trial following a plague of cats in a...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1972.240.B5
Original Tape ID
Summary
An 18th century witch trial following a plague of cats in a Caithness house.
In 1719 at Burnside, halfway between Thurso and Scrabster, a woman was plagued by cats while her husband was away from home. When the husband returned he found the strange cats had been gathering in the house at night. He killed one and threw it out of the house but the carcass disappeared overnight. He cut the leg off another and it was also gone, but a mile or two out of town, a poor old woman suspected of being a witch lost her leg.
She was reported by her neighbours, arrested by the Sheriff, and imprisoned in Thurso. When interrogated she named many other women as accomplices. The local ministers wanted to burn them. The woman who had lost her leg died in prison, but the others continued to deny having anything to do with the Devil. Lord Advocate Dundas ordered the case to be dropped and the women freed, much to the grievance of the Caithness people, who were convinced that the women were the allies of the Devil. It was the last big witch trial in Caithness.
Recording Location
County - Caithness
Parish - Thurso
Item Location
County - Caithness
Parish - Thurso
Village/Place - Burnside
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Fair