Volunteer Research: Clowts & the Serpent. Mary Lamont’s 13 Point Confession, 4th March 1662
National Records of Scotland, GD1/315/2
The above document was accessed at the National Records of Scotland; it is a “Note of the Voluntary Confession made by Mary Lamont, a young woman of the age of 18 years, dwelling in the parish of Inverkip. There are thirteen articles of confession, including admissions that she and other professed witches appeared from time to time in the "likness of kats". The confession was made in presence of Archibald Stewart, fiar of Blackhall, Mr. John Hamilton, minister at Inverkip, and others; and there is a note of the verdict of assize, finding her guilty. (4 March, 1662)
Transcription
Note: The following is a transcription of Mary (Marie) Lamont’s confession. Efforts have been made to retain some of the original spelling and terminology. A glossary / annotated notes will be added to this post at a later date.
“The Confession of Marie Lamont, a young Woman of the adge of Eighteen Yeares, dwelling in the parish of Innerkip, who willinglie offered herself to Tryell on the 4th of March, 1662.
She cam and offered herself willingly to the tryell, saying, that God moved her heart to confess, because she had lived long in the devil’s service.
She confessed most ingenuously, that fyve years since, Kattrein Scot, in Mudiestean, within the parochin of Innerkip, learned her to take kyes milk, biding her goe owt in mistie mornings, and take with her a harrie tedder, and draw it over the mouth of a mug, saying, “In God’s name, God send us milk, God send it, and meikle of it.” By this meanes shee and the said Kattrein gat much of their neighbour’s milk, and made butter and cheise thereof.*
She confessed, that two yeares and ane half since, the devill came to the said Kattrein Scott’s house, in the midst of the night, wher wer present with them, Margret McKenzie in Greinok, Janet Scot in Gorrok, herself, and several others; the devill was in the likeness of a meikle black man, and sung to them, and they dancit; he gave them wyn to drink, and wheat bread to eat, and they warr all very mirrie. She confesses, at that meiting the said Kettie Scott made her first acquaintance with the devill, and caused her to drink to him, and shak hands with him.
She confesses, that at that tyme the devill bad her betak herself to his service, and it should be weel with her, and bad for her forsak her baptizme, which shee did, delyvering herself wholly to him, by putting her one hand on the crown of her head, and the other hand to the sole of her fott, and giving all betwixt these two into him.
She confessed, that at that tyme he gave her name, and called her Clowts, and bad her call him Serpent, when she desired to speak with him.
Shee confessed, that at that sam tym the devill nipit her upon the right syd, qlk was very painful for a tym, but yairefter he straikit with his hand, and healed it; this she confesses to be his mark.”
The seventh article regards her criminal intercouse with Sathan as to gallantry, which she confessed, and then denied.
“ She confesses that she was at a meitting in the Bridylinne, with Jean King, Kettie Scot, Margrat McKenzie, and several others, where the devill was with them in the likeness of a brown dog. The end of their meitting was to raise stormie weather to hinder boats from the killing fishing;
and shee confessed that shee, Kettie Scot, and Margrat Holm, cam to Allan Orr’s house in the likeness of kats, and followed his wif into the chalmer, where they took a herring owt of a barrell, and having taken a byt off it, they left it behind them; the qlk herring the said Allan his wif did eat, and yairefter taking heavy disease, died. The quarrel was, because the said Allan had put Margrat Holm out of the houss wher shee was dwelling, whereupon shee threitened in wrath, that he and his wif sould not be long together. This agrees with the tent article of Kettie Scot’s confession.
She confessed, that shee, Kettie Scot, Margrat McKenzie, and severall others, went out to the sea betwixt and the land of Arran, to doe skaith to boats and ships that sould come alongs. They caused the storme to increase greatly, and mieting with Colin Campbell’s ship, did rive the sailles from her. Shee confesses, that in that voyadge shee was so oversett with ill weather, that shee took the fever soon yairefter, and did bleed much. This agrees with the 12th artickle of Kettie Scot’s confession.
She confessed, that when shee had been at a mietting sine Zowle last, with other witches, in the night, the devill convoyed her home in the dawing; and when shee was com near the hous wherin shee was a servant, her master saw a waff of him as he went away from hir.
She confessed, that shee knew some witches carried meikle ill will at Blackhall, younger, and Mr John Hamilton, and would fain give them ane ill cast if they could; therefor, about five weeks sine, Jean King, Kettie Scot, Jonet Holm, herself, and severall others, met together in the night, at the back gate of Ardgowand, where the devill was with them in the likeness of a black man, with cloven featt, and directed some of them to fetch wyt sand from the shore, and cast it about the gates of Ardgowand, and about the minister’s house; but shee sayes, when they war about that business, the devil turned them in likeness of kats, by shaking his hands above their heads. She confesses alsoe, that in that business some were cheifs and ringleaders, others was bot followers.
She confessed alsoe, that shee was with Kettie Scot, Margrat McKenzie, and others, at a meitting at Kempoch, where they intendit to cast the longston into the sea, thereby to destroy boats and shipes, wher they danced, and the devil kissed them when they went away. These artickles were confessed by the said Marie Lamont, at Innerkip, before us, undersubscribers, Archibald Stewart, fiare of Blackhall; J. Hamilton, minister at Innerkip,”
Further Reading
Our volunteer group have researched the subject of Scottish witch hunts by accessing the following books:
An Abundance of Witches: The Great Scottish Witch-Hunt, P.G. Maxwell-Stuart (2005)
The Malleus Maleficarum (edited and translated by P.G. Maxwell-Stuart, 2007)
Witchcraft and Belief in Early Modern Scotland (edited by Julian Goodare, Lauren Martin and Joyce Miller)
The Enemies of God, Christina Larner (1981)
The Kirk, Satan and Salem: A History of the Witches, Hugh V. McLachlan (2006)
A fantastic resource (and first stop) is the Scottish Survey for Witchcraft, we have used this extensively to seek citations and to view the locations of the accused.
Our Volunteer Leona has been working hard over the past few months translating this material over to Wikipedia. Coming soon: a post from Leona explaining her research interests, what she found and the work still to be done. Stay tuned!