THE TRIAL OF WILLIAM COKE AND ALISON DICK, FOR WITCHCRAFT.

Extracted from the Minutes of the Kirk-Session of Kirkaldy, A. D. 1636.

September 6th, 1633.

The which day, compeared Alison Dick, challenged upon some speeches uttered by her against William Coke, tending to witchcraft,—denied the samyne.

1. Compeared Alexander Savage, Andrew Nicol, and George Tillie, who being admitted and sworn, deponed as follows: The said Alexander Savage, that he heard the said Alison Dick say to her husband William Coke, 'Thou has put down many ships; it had been gude for the people of Kirkaldie, that they had knit a stone about thy neck and drowned thee.'

2. Andrew Nicol deponed, that he heard the said Alison say to him, 'Thou has gotten the woman's song laid, as thou promised; thou art over-long living; it had been gude for the women of Kirkaldy, that thou had been dead long since. I shall cause all the world wonder upon thee.'

3. George Tillie deponed, that he heard her say to him, 'It had been gude for the women of Kirkaldy, to put him to death; and that he had died seven years since.'

Also compeared Jean Adamson, Kathrine Spens, Marion Meason, Isobel Murison, Alison Kelloch, who being admitted and sworn, deponed as follows:

4. Jean Adamson deponed, that she heard Alison Dick say to her husband William Coke, 'Thief! Thief! what is this that I have been doing? keeping the thretty years from meikle evil doing. Many pretty men has thou putten down both in ships and boats; thou has gotten the woman's song laid now. Let honest men puddle and work as they like, if they please not thee well, they shall not have meikle to the fore when they die.'

5. Kathrine Spens deponed, that she heard her say to him, 'Common thief, I have hindered thee from many ill turns doing, both to ships and boats.'

6. Marion Meason deponed, that she heard her say, 'Common thief, mony ill turn have I hindered thee from doing thir thretty years; mony ships and boats has thou put down; and when I would have halden the string to have saved one man, thou wald not.'

7. Isobel Murison deponed, that she heard her say to him, 'Thief, thief, I have keeped thee from doing many ill turnes. Thou has now laid the woman's song.'

September 24th, 1633.

8. Compeared Janet Allan, relict of umquhile John Duncan fisher, deponed, that Alison Dick came in upon a certain time to her house, when she was lying in of a bairn, and craved some sour bakes; and she denying to give her any, the said Alison said, your bairns shall beg yet, (as they do.) And her husband being angry at her, reproved her; and she abused him in language; and when he strak her, she said, that she should cause him rue it; and she hoped to see the powarts bigg in his hair; and within half a year he was casten away, and his boat, and perished.

9. Janet Sauders, daughter-in-law to the said William Coke and Alison Dick, deponed, that William Coke came in to her, and she being weeping, he demanded the cause of it, she answered, it was for her husband. The said William said, What ails thee? Thou wilt get thy gudman again, but ye will get him both naked and bare; and whereas there was no word of him for a long time before, he came home within two days thereafter, naked and bare as he said; the ship wherein he was being casten away.

4, 10. Jean Adamson deponed, that when her gudman sailed with David Robertson, the said David having sent him home with a ship to come for Scotland, there was a long time that there was no word of that ship; so that David Robertson coming home, and the other ship not come, nor no word from her, he said he would never see her. The said Alison Dick came in to her, (she with her bairns being weeping), and said, What ails ye Jean to weep? She answered, We have all good cause to weep for my husband, whom we will never see more. The said Alison said, hold your tongue, your gudman and all the company are well enough; they are in Norway loading their ship with timber to come home, they will be here shortly. And so it fell out in every point as she said.

5, 11. Kathrine Spens deponed, that William Coke came in to her, after that his wife had spoken so much evil to him, and said, Kathrine, my wife has spoken meikle ill of me this day, but I said nothing to her again. If I had spoken two words to her the last time she was in the steeple, she would never have gotten out of it.

Minutes of 24th September, ordains Mr James Miller to ride to Preston for the man that tries the witches. The expence to be paid by the Town and Session.

September 8th,

12. Compeared Isobel Hay, spouse to Alexander Law, against Alison Dick, who being sworn, deponed, that she having come in to her house, her husband being newly sailed, she craved some money of her, which she refused, and boasted her. The said Alison said, It shall gang wair geats; and that same voyage, her husband had great loss. And thereafter, the said Alison came in to her house, she being furth, and took her sister by the hand, and since that time, the maiden had never been in her right wits.

13. William Bervie declared, that Robert Whyt having once stricken William Coke, Alison Dick his wife, came to the said Robert, and said, Wherefore have ye stricken my husband? I shall cause you rue it. The said Robert replying, What sayest thou? I shall give you as much—you witch. She answered, 'Witches take the wit and the grace from you;' and that same night, he was bereft of his wits.

14. Janet Whyt, daughter to the said Robert, compearing, affirmed the said dittay to be true upon her oath. And added, that she went to the said Alison, and reproved her, laying the wyt of her father's sickness upon her. Let him pay me then, and he will be better; but if he pay me not, he will be worse; for there is none that does me wrong, but I go to my god and complains upon them, and within 24 hours I will get amends of them. The said Janet Whyt declared, that Alison Dick said to her servant, Agnes Fairlie, I have gotten a grip of your gudwife's thigh; I shall get a grip of her leg next; the said Janet having burnt her thigh before with lint: and thereafter she has taken such a pain in her leg, that she can get no remedy for it. Whilk the said Agnes Fairlie deponed upon her great oath to be true.

15. Alison Dick herself declared, that David Paterson, skipper, having struck William Coke her husband, and drawn him by the feet, and compelled him to bear his gear aboard, the said William cursed the said David, and that voyage he was taken by the Dunkirkers. Also, at another time thereafter, he compelled him to bear his gear aboard, and a captain's who was with him, and when the captain would have paid him, the said David would not suffer him; but he himself gave him what he liked. The said William cursed the said David very vehemently; and at that time he himself perished, his ship, and all his company, except two or three. Also she declared, that when his own son sailed in David Whyt's ship, and gave not his father his bonnallie,[11] the said William said, What? Is he sailed, and given me nothing? The devil be with him; if ever he come home again, he shall come home naked and bare; and so it fell out. For John Whyt, who had that ship freighted to Norway, and another wherein himself was, declared, that they had very foul weather; and the ship wherein the said young William Coke was, perished; and he saved all the men in the ship wherein he was himself. And albeit the storm increased two days before the perishing of the said ship, and six days after, yet the two hours space in which they were saving the men, it was so calm in that part of the sea, that they rowed from one ship to the other with two oars, and the sea was all troublesome about them. And the said William Coke the younger, was the first man that came a shipboard.

Paction.—The same day, Alison Dick being demanded by Mr James Simson, minister, when, and how, she fell in covenant with the devil? She answered, her husband mony times urged her, and she yielded only two or three years since. The manner was thus—He gave her, soul and body, quick and quidder full to the devil, and bade her do so. But she in her heart said, God guide me. And then she said to him, I shall do any thing that ye bid me: and so she gave herself to the devil in the foresaid words.—This she confessed about four hours at even, freely, without compulsion, before Mr James Simson, minister, William Tennent, baillie, Robert French, town-clerk, Mr John Malcolme, schoolmaster, William Craig, and me, the said Mr James Miller, writer hereof.

October 15th.

16. The which day, compeared Christian Ronaldson, against Alison Dick, who, in her presence being sworn, deponed, that she having set an house to the said Alison, and when the gudman came home he was angry, and said, he would not have the devil to dwell above him in the closs; and he went and struck up the door, and put forth the chimney that she put in it. And thereafter, Alison came to the said Christian, and chopped upon her shoulder, and said to her, Christie, your gudman is going to sail, and he has ane stock among his hands, but ere long, his stock shall be as short as mine. And so it fell out, for he was casten away in David Whyt's ship, and saved nothing.

October 22d.

17. Compeared Merjory Marshall, against Alison Dick, who being sworn, deponed, that Alison having brought her gudman's cloaths once from the Castle-haven,[12] she offered her 12d for her labour, who would not have it; and she said to her, Alison, there is not many of them. She answered, they shall be fewer the next time; and the next voyage he was cast away in David Whyt's ship.

18. Compeared also Kathrine Wilson, who being sworn, deponed, that she and Janet Whyt being sliding together, Alison Dick came to them, and asked silver from Janet Whyt, who would give her none, but fled her company into the said Kathrine's house, and she followed, and she gave her a piece bread, and Janet Whyt bade her give her a plack also, and she should pay her again. And when she got it, she said, Is this all that she gives me? If she had given me a groat, it would have vantaged her a thousand punds. This is your doing, evil tidings come upon you. And she went down the closs, and pissed at their meal-cellar door; and after that, they had never meal in that cellar, (they being meal makers.) And thereafter they bought a horse at 40 lib., and the horse never carried a load to them but two, but died in the batts, louping to death, so that every body said that he was witched.

October 29th.

19. Euphen Boswell being sworn, deponed, that her gudman being to sail to the East country, loaden with salt, the said Alison Dick having born some of the salt aboard, she came to her and craved money from her, who gave her meat, but would give her no money, saying to her, Alison, my gudman has paid you himself, and therefore, I will give you nothing. She replied, Will ye give me nothing? I hope in God it will be better sharp (cheaper) sold nor it was bought: and so it fell out, for the ship sailed upon the morn, and the day after that, she sank, salt and all, except the men, who were saved by another ship that was near by them.

20. Thomas Mustard being sworn, deponed, that James Wilson going once to sail, Alison Dick came to him, and desyred silver from him, he would give her none; she abused him with language, and he struck her; she said to him, that that hand should do him little good that voyage; and within two days after, his hand swelled as great as a pint-stoup, so that he could get little or nothing done with it. The next time also when he was to sail, the said Alison went betwixt him and the boat; and he said, Yon same witch thief is going betwixt me and the boat, I must have blood of her; and he went and struck her, and bled her, and she cursed him and banned him; and that same voyage, he being in Caithness, standing upon the shore cleithing a tow, and a boy with him, the sea came and took him away, and he died; and the boy was well enough.

Desires Mr Robert Douglas[13] to go to the Archbishop with this process, to get his approbation thereto, who takes upon him to do the same.

Minute of November 19th.—5s. given for a load of coals to Alison Dick;—14s. for her entertainment this week bygone, being this day, with her husband William Coke, burnt for witchcraft.

In the minute of 17th December, there is a particular account of the Town and Session's extraordinary Debursements for William Coke and Alison Dick, Witches.

In primis.—To Mr James Miller, when he went to Prestowne for a man to try them,47s.£2 7

Item.—To the man of Culross, (the executioner) when he went away the first time,12s.0 12

Item.—For coals for the witches,24s.1 4

Item.—In purchasing the commission, 9 3

Item.—For one to go to Finmouth for the laird to sit upon their assise as judge, 0 6

Item.—For harden to be jumps to them, 3 10

Item.—For making of them, 0 8

——

Summa for the kirk's part £17 1Scots.

The Town's part of Expenses Debursed extraordinarily upon William Coke and Alison Dick.

In primus—For ten loads of coals to burn them, 5 merks,£368

Item.—For a tar barrel, 14s.0140

Item.—For towes,060

Item.—To him that brought the executioner,2180

Item.—To the executioner for his pains,8140

Item.—For his expenses here,0164

Item.—For one to go to Finmouth for the laird,060

——————

Summa town's part,£1710Scots.

Both,34110

The following account is a voucher of a payment made by Alexander Louddon, a factor on the estate of Burncastle, the proprietor being then a minor and infant. It is entered in the factor's books thus:

Mair for Margarit Dunhome the time sche was in prison, and was put to death, 065: 14: 4.

Count gifin out be Alexander Louddon in Lylstoun, in ye yeir of God 1649 yeiris, for Margrit Dollmoune in Burncastell.

Item, in ye first, to Wm. Currie and Andrew Gray for the watching of hir ye space of 30 days, inde ilk day, xxx sh indexlv lib Scotts

Item mair to Jon Kinked; for brodding of her[14]vi lib Scotts

Mair for meat and drink and wyne to him and his maniiij lib Scotts

Mair for cloth to hiriij lib Scotts

Mair for twa tare treisxl sh Scotts

Item mair for twa treis, and ye making of them to the warkmeniij lib Scotts

Item to ye hangman in Hadingtoun, and fetchin of him, thrie dollores for his pens, isiiij lib xiiii sh

Item mair for meit and drink and wyne for his intertingeiii lib Scotts

Item mair fer ane man and twa horss, for ye fetcheing of him, and taking of him hame aganexl sh Scotts

Mair to hir for meit and drink ilk ane day, iiij sh the space of xxx dayes, isvi lib Scotts

Item mair to ye twa officers for yr fie ilk day sex shilline aught pennes, isx lib Scotts

Summa is iiij scoir xii lib xiiij sh

Ghilbert Lauder. Um. Lauder Bilzaurs.

Takin of this above written soume twentie-seaven pundis Scotis qlk the said umql Margrit Dinham had of her ain.

92: 14: — 27: —: — ———— 65: 14: —