The Witch-cult in Western Europe Part 38

1673. Northumberland

1. Anne Driden 2. Anne Foster 3. Anne Usher 4. Elizabeth Pickering 5. John Crauforth 6. Lucy Thompson 7. Margaret Aynsley 8. Margarett (whose surname she knowes not) 9. Michael Aynsley 10. William Wright 11-13. And three more, whose names she knowes not

17

1657. Renfrewshire. Bargarran

1. Agnes Naismith 2. Alexander Anderson 3. James Lindsay 4. Janet Rodgers 5. Janet Wagh 6. Jean Fulton [officer]

7. John Lindsay 8. John Reid 9. Katherine Campbel 10. Margaret Fulton 11. Margaret Laing 12. Margaret Rodgers 13. Martha Semple

B. NAMES OF WITCHES

[Guernsey being a law unto itself in the matter of names, the following remarks refer only to England and Scotland.]

The lists of witch-names bring to light several facts as regards the women.

One of these is the entire absence of Saxon names, such as Gertrude, Edith, Hilda; Old Testament names are so few in number as to be negligible; Scandinavian names are not found; the essentially Puritan names, such as Temperance, hardly occur; but the great ma.s.s of the names fall under eight heads with their dialectical differences: 1, Ann (Annis, Agnes, Annabel); 2, Alice (Alison); 3, Christian (Christen, Cirstine); 4, Elizabeth (Elspet, Isobel, Bessie); 5, Ellen (Elinor, Helen); 6, Joan (Jane, Janet, Jonet); 7, Margaret (Marget, Meg, Marjorie); 8, Marion (Mary).

At first sight the list suggests New Testament and Greek influence; and though I am not prepared to dispute this, I would point out (1) that there was a British G.o.ddess called Anna, which may account not only for all the forms of Ann but also for the terminations in Alison and Marion; (2) that the name _Christian_ clearly indicates the presence of another religion; (3) that there is at present nothing to prove that Isobel is a variant of Elizabeth-it is quite possible that Isobel was the original name and that the missionaries 'Christianized' it as Elizabeth; (4) that Helen was a pre-Christian name in Great Britain; (5) that Margaret may have been originally Marget, the spelling and p.r.o.nunciation being influenced by the Greek form; and as g and y are dialectically interchangeable, Marget would be the same as, or closely allied to, the Finnish Marjatta.

If Christianity had obtained the hold on the people which the ecclesiastical writers would have us believe, the name Mary should surely have been the most common, but it hardly occurs in Great Britain before 1645, while Marion is hardly used after that date. This looks as though Marion were the earlier form, and Mary may therefore be merely the contraction of the longer name.

As regards the name Joan I can offer no explanations or suggestions. I can only call attention to its overwhelming preponderance in comparison with the others.

In the lists the names are arranged without regard to local differences of spelling. The surnames are in alphabetical order.

Abre Grinset Dunwich 1663 Agnes Allene Crook of Devon 1662 Agnes Beveridge Crook of Devon 1662 Agnes Brodie Auldearne 1662 Agnes Browne Northampton 1612 Agnes Brugh Crook of Devon 1662 Agnes Finnie Edinburgh 1644 Agnes Forbes Aberdeen 1597 Agnes Frame Aberdeen 1597 Agnes Grant Auldearne 1662 Agnes Murie Crook of Devon 1662 Agnes Naismith Bargarran 1697 Agnes Pittendreich Crook of Devon 1662 Agnes Rawsterne Lancs 1613 Agnes Sampson North Berwick 1590 Agnes Sharp Crook of Devon 1662 Agnes Sparke Forfar 1661 Agnes Stratton North Berwick 1590 Agnes Torrie Auldearne 1662 Agnes Williamson Samuelston 1662 Agnes Wobster Aberdeen 1597 Agnes ... in Gortenis Bute 1662

Alester McNiven Bute 1642 Alexander Bell Auldearne 1662 Alexander Elder Auldearne 1662 Alexander Hamilton Edinburgh 1630 Alexander Hunter East Lothian 1649 Alexander Ledy Auldearne 1662 Alexander Quhytelaw N. Berwick 1590 Alexander Shepheard Auldearne 1662 Alexander Sussums Suffolk 1646

Alice Dixon Ess.e.x 1645 Alice Dixon Northumberland 1673 Alice Duke Somerset 1664 Alice Gooderidge Burton-on-Trent 1597 Alice Gray Lancs 1613 Alice Green Somerset 1664 Ales Hunt St. Osyth 1582 Alice Huson Burton Agnes 1664 Alice Kyteler Ireland 1324 Ales Mansfield St. Osyth 1582 Ales Newman St. Osyth 1582 Alice Nutter Lancs 1613 Alice Priestley Lancs 1613 Alse Young Connecticut 1647 Alizon Device Lancs 1613 Alison d.i.c.k Kirkcaldy 1636 Alesoun Peirsoun Fifeshire 1588

Allan McKeldowie Orkney 1616

Amy Duny Ess.e.x 1645 Amie Hyndman, Snr. Bute 1662 Amie Hyndman, Jnr. Bute 1662

Andro Man Aberdeen 1597 Andrew Sanford Conn. 1662 Andrew Watson Forfar 1661

Anne Ashby Maidstone 1652 Ann Baites Northumberland 1673 Anne Baker Leicester 1619 Anne Bishop Somerset 1664 Anne Blampied Guernsey 1629 Anne Bodenham Salisbury 1633 Anne Cate Much Holland, Ess.e.x 1645 Anne Cooper Clacton, Ess.e.x 1645 Annas Craigie Crook of Devon 1662 Anne Crunkshey Lancs 1613 Anne Desborough Hunts 1646 Anne Driden Northumberland 1673 Anne Foster Northumberland 1673 Ann Foster Northampton 1674 Annis Glasc.o.c.ke St. Osyth 1582 Anne Grut Guernsey 1614 Annis Heade St. Osyth 1582 Annie Heyman Bute 1662 Anne Hunnam Scarborough 1651 Anne Leach Misley, Ess.e.x 1645 Anne Martyn Maidstone 1652 Anne Ma.s.sq Guernsey 1617 Anne Parker Suffolk 1645 Anne Parteis Northumberland 1673 Anne Pearce Suffolk 1645 Anne Redferne Lancs 1613 Annie Richardson N. Berwick 1590 Anne Smith St. Albans 1649 Annabil Stuart Paisley 1678 Anie Tailzeour Orkney 1633 Annaple Thomson Borrowstowness 1679 Anne Usher Northumberland 1673 Anne West Lawford, Ess.e.x 1645 Anne Whitfield Northumberland 1673 Anne Whittle Lancs 1613

Anthony Hunter Northumberland 1673

Archibald Man Auldearne 1662

Arthur Bill Northampton 1612

Barbara Erskeine Alloa 1658 Barbara Friece Auldearne 1662 Barbara Napier N. Berwick 1590 Barbara Ronald Auldearne 1662

Beak Taiss Aberdeen 1597 Beigis Tod N. Berwick 1598

Beatrice Laing Pittenweem 1704 Beatrice Robbie Aberdeen 1597

Cirstine Ballantyne Bute 1662 Christian Carington N. Berwick 1597 Christian Carrington N. Berwick 1590 Christian Graham Glasgow 1622 Christian Green Somerset 1664 Christian Grieve Crook of Devon 1662 Christine Harnon Guernsey 1617 Christiane Lewingstone Leith 1597 Christen Miller Aberdeen 1597 Christen Mitch.e.l.l Aberdeen 1597 Christen Reid Aberdeen 1597 Christian Saidler Edinburgh 1597 Christian Tod N. Berwick 1590 Christen Whyte Forfar 1661 Christiane Wilson Dalkeith 1661 Christian Young Crook of Devon 1662

Christopher Dixon Northumberland 1673 Christopher Ellen Somerset 1664 Christopher Hargreaves Lancs 1613 Christopher Howgate Lancs 1613

Cysley Celles St. Osyth 1582 Cecile Vaultier Guernsey 1610

Collas Becquet Guernsey 1617 Collette Becquet Guernsey 1617 Collette de l'Estal Guernsey 1622 Collette Dumont Guernsey 1617 Collette Gascoing Guernsey 1563 Collette la Gelee Guernsey 1624 Collette Robin Guernsey 1622 Collette Salmon Guernsey 1563 Collette Sauvage Guernsey 1639 Collette Tourtel Guernsey 1576

Deliverance Hobbs Salem 1692

Dinah Warberton Somerset 1664

Donald McCartour Bute 1662 Donald Robesoune N. Berwick 1590 Doll Bilby Burton Agnes 1664

Dorothy Green Northumberland 1673 Dorothy Warberton Somerset 1664

Duncan Buchquhannane N. Berwick 1590

Bessie Aiken Edinburgh 1597 Elspet Alexander Forfar 1661 Elizabeth Astley Lancs 1613 Elizabeth Atchinson Northumberland 1673 Bessie Bathgate Eymouth 1634 Elizabeth Bennet St. Osyth 1582 Elspet Blak Alloa 1658 Bessie Browne N. Berwick 1590 Elspet Bruce Forfar 1661 Elspet Cant Queensferry 1644 Elizabeth Chandler Hunts 1646 Elspet Chisholme Auldearne 1662 Elizabeth Clark Manningtree 1645 Elizabeth Clawson Conn. 1692 Bessie Croket Forfar 1661 Elizabeth Demdike Lancs 1613 Elizabeth Dempster Crook of Devon 1662 Elizabeth Device Lancs 1613 Elizabeth d.i.c.kenson Knaresborough 1621 Bessie Dunlop Ayrshire 1576 Elizabeth Duquenin Guernsey 1610 Elizabeth Ewstace St. Osyth 1582 Elspet Falconer Auldearne 1662 Elspet Findlay Aberdeen 1597 Elizabeth Fletcher Knaresborough 1621 Elspett Forbes Aberdeen 1597 Elizabeth Francis Chelmsford 1556 Bessie Friece Auldearne 1662 Elspet Galie Bute 1662 Elizabeth Garlick Conn. 1657 Elizabeth Gauvein Guernsey 1639 Elspet Gilbert Auldearne 1662 Elizabeth G.o.dman Conn. 1653 Elizabeth Gooding Manningtree 1645 Bessie Graham Kilwinning 1649 Elspet Graham Dalkeith 1661 Elspet Gray Bute 1662 Bessie Gulene N. Berwick 1590 Elizabeth Hare Ess.e.x 1645 Elizabeth Hargraves Lancs 1613 Elizabeth Harvy Ramsey, Ess.e.x 1645 Bessie Hay Auldearne 1662 Bessie Henderson Crook of Devon 1662 Elizabeth Howgate Lancs 1613 Bessie Hucheons Auldearne 1662 Elizabeth Knap Groton 1671 Elspet Laird Auldearne 1662 Elizabeth le Hardy Guernsey 1631 Elspet Leyis Aberdeen 1597 Elspet Macbeith Auldearne 1662 Elspet Makhomie Auldearne 1662 Bessie Moffat Dalkeith 1661 Elspet Moinness Aberdeen 1597 Elspet NcWilliam Bute 1662 Bessie Neil Crook of Devon 1662 Elspet Nishie Auldearne 1662 Bessie Paton Alloa 1658 Bessie Paul Aberdeen 1597 Bessie Peterkin Auldearne 1662 Elizabeth Pickering Northumberland 1673 Elspeth Reoch Orkney 1616 Bessie Robson N. Berwick 1590 Elizabeth Sawyer Edmonton 1621 Elizabeth Seager Conn. 1662 Elspet Smyth Aberdeen 1597 Elspeth Spence Bute 1662 Elizabeth Stile Somerset 1664 Elizabeth Stile Windsor 1579 Elspet Strathaquhin Aberdeen 1597 Bessie Thom Aberdeen 1597 Bessie Thomson N. Berwick 1590 Bessie Vickar Borrowstowness 1679 Elizabeth Weed Hunts 1646 Bessie Weir Paisley 1678 Bessie Wilson Auldearne 1662 Bessie Wright N. Berwick 1590 Elizabeth Wright Burton-on-Trent 1597 Bessie Young Auldearne 1662

Ellen Bierley Lancs 1613 Ellen Gray Aberdeen 1597 Ellen Green Leicester 1619 Elinor Shaw Northampton 1705 Euphemia McCalyan N. Berwick 1590

Frances Dicconson Lancs 1613 Frances Moore Hunts 1646

George Ellies Forfar 1661

Gideon Penman Crighton 1678

Gilbert Fidlar Aberdeen 1597 Gilbert McGill N. Berwick 1590

Giles Fenderlin Leaven Heath 1652 Geillis Duncan N. Berwick 1590 Gilles Hutton Crook of Devon 1662

Girette le Parmentier Guernsey 1620

Gracyenne Gousset Guernsey 1563 Grace Hay Lancs 1613

Grissell Gairdner Newburgh 1610 Grissall Sinklar Auldearne 1662

Guillemine la Bousse Guernsey 1622 Guillemine Vaultier Guernsey 1610