This month we are pleased to present to you Caroline Anderson as she takes us on a journey to the Island of Bute and the Bute Witchcraft Confessions such as that of Jonet McNicoll 22nd February 1662: ‘Confesses with remorse praying to God to forgive her sins that about hallowday as she was in Mary Moores house that there appeared to her two men the one a gross coperfaced man and the other a wele favored young man and that the copperfaced man quhom she knew to be ane evil spirit bade her goe with him’

This talk will look at a period of Scotland’s history which saw, mainly women, persecuted as witches.

We will take a closer look at some of the women who confessed to witchcraft on the Island of Bute, we will also look at the fusion of cultures and beliefs of the Gaelic and the Scots speaking population of the island.

Using extracts from the confession documents, held in the archives at Inveraray Castle, the kirk session records and cases from the justiciary records for the period we will get an insight into what life was like in seventeenth century Bute.

About
Caroline Anderson

Having lived and worked in Mid Argyll all my life, but coming late to study, I recently gained a degree in Scotlands Culture and Heritage, As part of my studies I came across the persecution of witches during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

It came as a surprise to find out that the scale of Scotland’s witch hunt made those of England and elsewhere look insignificant. I found I couldn’t quite give up researching the witch accusations and trials and continue to investigate and do a personal remembrance every month to one of the accused. I hope you will join me to find out a bit more.

https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Online/Virtual-Event/Remembering-the-Ac...