That the date of the burning of the witch at Monzie took place in the
year 1563, and not, as is generally supposed, in the year 1715 is not
only proved by the recorded evidence in the case of John Brughe already
referred to, it also receives confirmation from the fact that although
reference is made over and over again in the Session Records to public
events, there is no mention made of the witch. An additional argument
for the earlier date is also found in the fact that Patrick Graeme,
younger of Inchbrakie (referred to by Dr. Marshall as the person who
brought Kate to the stake, and by Mr Blair as the man who would prove
the means of her death), had been for over twenty years in exile.
Having slain John, the Master of Rollo, when returning homewards from a
revel at Invermay, he escaped abroad, and it was not till the year 1720
that he procured remission of his sentence and returned to Inchbrakie.
That he did return is proved by the fact that he was a witness to a
feu-charter, granted by Anthony Murray of Dollary, to Donald Fisher,
taylzior in Crieff, dated "at Dollary," January 13th, 1725.
An attempt has been made not only to fix the date as 1715, but also to
give a list of the "understanding gentlemen, magistrates, and ministers
of the neighbourhood," who acted as judges on the occasion; and in
particular the then minister of Monzie--Mr Bowie--is singled out as one
of those who are said to have been bitter against the witch, and
because of the part he is supposed to have taken in bringing her to
justice, not only was a curse pronounced upon the parish, but for
rhyming purposes a curse is also pronounced on Mr Bowie and his
successors in office--
"Yon bonnie manse shall ne'er a tenant see
Who shall not yet this bitter day abye,"--
a curse which has not been realised, so far as we know, in the case of
any of those who have ministered in holy things in the parish. If
there is any honour attached to the work of burning witches, we
conclude that the parish can claim the honour of being the first to
obey the law enacted on the 4th of June, 1563, and if the evidence
given at the trial of John Brughe be at all reliable--as we have no
reason to doubt--the real name of the witch was Kate Nike Neiving.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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