TAP Field Report No. 5 A survey of Shetland's gallow hills Joris ...

TAP Field Report No. 5Source: Sinclair 1685: 231Note:Sinclair gives the following account: “In Shetland a few years ago, a judgehaving condemned an old woman and her daughter called Helen Stewartfor witch-craft, sent them to be burn’d. The maid was so stupid, that she wasthought to be possessed. When she had hung some little time on the gibbet, ablack pitchy-like ball foamed out of her mouth: and after the ire was kindled,it grew to the bigness of a walnut, and then lew up like squibs into the air,which the judge yet living attests. It was taken to be a visible sign that thedevil was gone out of her’.c.1675Convict:‘Luggie’ (nickname)Trial: ?Committed crime: witchcraftSentence:burned at the stakePlace of execution: ScallowayVerdict: ?Source: Sinclair 1685: 237 f. Brand 1701: 167Note:It is not clear whether the accounts given by Sinclair and Brand arebased on a historical case or rather represent a legend. Sinclair gives thefollowing account: (...) a wizzard accused and execute in Shetland, beforenamed, for witchcraft several years ago, called Luggie, to a nick-name, whobeing a isher, had a trick at any time, when hungry at sea, to cast out his line,and would out of Neptuns lowest kitching, bring cliverly up ish well boiledand roasted. And his comerades by a natural courage, would make a merrymeal thereof, not questioning who was cook. He had another piece of art,at any time in the year, or in great storms, to go up to an high hill near hisown house, whereupon there was a deep pit, out of which, with his lines hedrew up codlings, or keeling for his provision, which never man could do buthimself. This story is true, being yet to be seen in the criminal books of thatcountrey.”According to Brand, this Luggie used to live at Kebister, ‘about a mile fromTingwall to the North’, where there still is a hill called Luggies Knowe (infact this is 3 miles northeast of Tingwall).1685Convict:John JohnsonTrial: ?Committed crime: thieverySentence:the accused was dragged from Scalloway castle to the execution site onGallow Hill with his hands bound behind his back, and whipped by thehangman. After that, he was nailed with his ears to the gallows whilestanding on a stone, and then thrown down. The convict was then returnedto prison and inally banished forever from Shetland.Place of execution: ScallowayVerdict:taken to the comone hangman as a bund thief, with his hands behind his back,and scurged from the castell [to] the gallows, and... receave threscoir of strypsor lasches from the hand of the said comone hangman, and therafter his lugs44