Witches of Scotland

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Witches of Scotland was a campaign for legal pardons and historic justice for the people, primarily women, convicted of witchcraft and executed in Scotland between 1563 and 1736. A formal apology was made on 8 March 2022. The aim was also to establish a national memorial for the convicted from the Scottish parliament.[1]

Led by Claire Mitchell QC and writer Zoe Venditozzi, the campaign was launched on International Women's Day in 2020,[2] and gained significant media coverage in 2021.[3][4][5][6] The podcasts published by the campaign include contributions from Carolyn Jess Cooke, Sara Sheridan, Julia Campanelli, Julian Goodare and Alice Tarbuck.[7]

Historical background[edit]

In Scotland the Witchcraft Act remained in law till 1736. Witchcraft was a capital crime and punished by strangulation and burning at the stake. Claire Mitchell QC provides evidence that Scotland executed five times as many people per capita as anywhere else in Europe.[8] An estimated 3837 people were accused, 2558 of whom were killed.[2][9] 84% of the convicted were women.

The campaign website describes King James the VI of Scotland's involvement in what they describe as "Scotland's satanic panic". James considered himself an expert in witchcraft and wrote Daemonologie.

Aims and accomplishments[edit]

The founders view the campaign as a women's rights issue due to the extreme discrepancy in the number of women convicted versus men.[1] They see the pardoning and memorializing of these women as a statement against misogyny in the world today.[1][10][11]

The campaign has three specific goals: a pardon for those convicted, a formal apology from the Scottish government, and a national memorial.[1]

Pardon[edit]

The campaign seeks a legal pardon in order to acknowledge that those convicted of witchcraft were victims of injustice, and not criminals. In the background to their petition, Mitchell cites the Historical Sexual Offences Act 2018, as well as the Scottish Parliament's intent to pardon miners convicted during the 1984 miners strike, as precedent for righting historical wrongs in this manner.[1]

A member's bill to clear the names of those accused was planned by SNP MSP Natalie Don.[12][13] It received the support of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in December 2021,[8][14] and a consultation was launched in June 2022.[15] Don believes that the increasing number of female Members of Scottish Parliament in recent years has been a positive factor in the progress of the bill.[11]

Apology[edit]

The campaign sought an apology from the Scottish government, with the reasoning that many victims of the witch hunts were only accused, not convicted; a pardon could not be granted to these individuals. Mitchell states that a "public statement of regret" is necessary for these individuals for whom even the allegation of witchcraft was irrevocably damaging.[1] Nicola Sturgeon offered a formal apology on International Women's Day 2022.[16][12]

Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland (RAWS), a related organization, additionally secured an apology from the Church of Scotland for its role in the persecution.[17]

Memorial[edit]

The campaign seeks to obtain a national memorial to those affected by the witch trials.[1] RAWS identified a potential site for the memorial in Kelty, Fife - a central location for many of the trials.[17]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "PE01855: Pardon and memorialise those convicted under the Witchcraft Act 1563". external.parliament.scot. 18 March 2021. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b "About". Witches Of Scotland. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  3. ^ Andy Philip (September 2021). "Mercy for 'witches': Holyrood hears plea for Queen to pardon thousands of Scottish women". Press and Journal. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  4. ^ Bryce, Tracey. "A pardon, An apology. A memorial: Campaigners urge pardon for Scots women executed for witchcraft". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  5. ^ Howard, Sally (24 October 2021). "Why the witch-hunt victims of early modern Britain have come back to haunt us". the Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Scottish Parliament asked to right 'terrible miscarriage of justice' by pardoning thousands of witches". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Podcast". Witches Of Scotland. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Women executed 300 years ago as witches in Scotland set to receive pardons". the Guardian. 19 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  9. ^ Goodare, Julian; Yeoman, Louise; Martin, Lauren; Miller, Joyce (2010). "Survey of Scottish Witchcraft - Introduction to Scottish Witchcraft". www.shca.ed.ac.uk. doi:10.7488/ds/100. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Why learning the truth about Scotland's 'witches' is vital to society today – Lawrence Normand". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Pardon for Scots convicted of witchcraft not a 'waste of time' and will send message on misogyny". The National. 26 June 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Nicola Sturgeon apologises to people accused of witchcraft". BBC News. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Witch apology would 'send powerful signal'". BBC News. 7 January 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  14. ^ English, Paul. "Scotland prepares pardon for the 'witches' it executed". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  15. ^ "MSP launches consultation on Bill to pardon thousands convicted of witchcraft". The National. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Nicola Sturgeon issues apology for 'historical injustice' of witch hunts". the Guardian. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Failure to pardon women persecuted as witches in Scotland 'prolongs misogyny'". the Guardian. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
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