Official Clan MacTavish Society

                                    since 1997

International a.k.a.  Dunardry Heritage Association supports Clan MacTavish interests worldwide and includes both the Dunardry and Stratherrick Clan MacTavish sites.

MacTavish International a.k.a.  Dunardry Heritage Association supports Clan MacTavish interests worldwide and includes both the Dunardry and Stratherrick Clan MacTavish sites.

James VI's beliefs were also those of the Presbyterian church and the General Assembly kept the hysteria inflamed by passing their Condemnatory Acts against witches in 1640, 43, 44, 45 and 49 which caused the second peak in Scottish witch-hunting. The third peak commenced a little early in Galloway, when, in 1659, no less than nine witches were strangled and burned in one day on the banks of the Nith at Dumfries. The sentence was that they "...be taen upon Wednesday come eight days to the ordinar place of execution for the burghe of Dumfries and ther, betuing (between) 2 and 4 hours of the afternoon, to be strangled at staikes till they be dead, and thereafter ther bodyes to be burned to ashes, and all ther movable goods to be esheite."

Witch-hunting began to decline everywhere towards the end of the 17th century, but the rate of decline varied from country to country. The last recorded witch-hanging in England was in 1685, but the last recorded case of witch-burning in Galloway, Scotland, was 1698. Elspeth MacEwen was pronounced guilty of "... a compact and correspondence with the devil, and of charms and of accessation to malefices."

The Witch of Bogha

"Elspeth lived in a solitary house in the farm of Cubbox, called Bogha. As appears from the evidence of two gentlemen who visited her in jail at Kirkcudbright, she was a person of superior education. Still, however, her neighbours were tormented with her, and every calamity that befell themselves or their cattle was attributed to Elspeth's witchcraft. If a cow fell ill, it was Elspeth doing. It was, also, currently reported and believed that if eggs were wanted (scarce) at New-Galloway, application had only to be made to the old wife of Bogha, and the market was well supplied. But the worse cantrip that she played on the wights of Balmaclellan was the following. She had a pin in her kipplefoot (part of a roof beam), and when she pleased, could, by taking out that pin, draw milk from her neighbors cows! At length complaint was made to the Sessions, and the Beadle, M'Lambroch, was sent off with the minister's mare to bring her to the session. Elspeth, after expressing great wonder at this usage from the minister, consented to go. Tradition states that the mare was dreadfully frightened, and, at a rising hill near the manse, since called the `Bluidy Brae', sweat great drops of blood.

After undergoing an examination (with torture), she was sent off to Kirkcudbright, and confined there for about two years. Her imprisonment was rendered so wretched by her tormentors, that the miserable woman implored them to terminate a life so full of suffering. She was condemned, taken to prison, and burned to death in the neighbourhood of Kirkcudbright."

The next two cases in Galloway, in 1703, did not receive the punishment of burning; but in the new and enlightened age of the eighteenth century were banished to Ireland for life. Nevertheless, it was in 1722 that the last witch-burning in Scotland took place. This was in Sutherland, but there may have been later cases in the extreme north where the records are far from complete. It must not be assumed, however, that that was the end of burning people in Britain. Those convicted of Petty Treason -- for example, a woman murdering her husband -- were punished by burning at the stake until 1790 when the Act was repealed.

Of the many contributing factors which were formalised into witchcraft beliefs from pagan practises there is one which was particularly strong in northern Europe. It began as a magical ritual where the participants dressed up as animals and, through the action of contagious magic, tried to affect the outcome of the hunt. It had the same purpose as the paintings of animals made by primitive man in