Meg Dow
Meg Dow | |
|---|---|
| Died | April 1590 |
| Cause of death | Capital punishment (strangled and burnt to death) |
| Years active | 1580s |
| Known for | Scottish woman executed for witchcraft and infanticide |
Meg Dow or Margaret Dow (died 1590), was a Scottish woman executed for witchcraft. She was charged with infanticide and witchcraft in April 1590 and was subsequently executed at Castlehill, Edinburgh.[1] The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft database lists her age at the time as 9 years old.[2]
Biography
[edit | edit source]Dow was from Gilmerton south east of Edinburgh. She was charged with the 'crewell murdreissing of twa young infant bairns," by magic[3][4][5] and was questioned on 14 April 1590 and again on 20 April 1590.
Justice Depute, James Wardlaw, was the advocate prosecuting the case.[6] The central trial began on 28 April 1590 with Thomas Craig and James Wardlaw investigating. [7]
Dow told the trial that she had met "a meikle black man" on the road between Dalkeith and Edinestoune when she was carrying "the sark of a dying child". This was at 12:00am.[7]
She confessed that “the Innemy”, Satan, had marked her by biting her little finger and causing it to bleed conspicuously.
Death
[edit | edit source]Dow was convicted and her sentence was to be executed along with another accused, Janet Pook.[8][9]
She was 'wirreit [worried, strangled] at ane staik' and 'thairefter hir bodie brunt in asses' for the crimes of child murder, sorcerie and witchcraft at Castlehill, Edinburgh on 28 April 1590.[8][4][10][11]
References
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