Mr. Paterson, Female Witch-Hunter

In the 1600s, a witch-hunter by the name of Mr. Paterson came to the Inverness area. Mr. Paterson had been all over the kingdom for witch trials, and had picked up the nickname the Pricker because of his use of a long brass pin.

According to The Wardlaw Manuscript,

Stripping them naked, he alleged that the spell spot was seen and discovered. After rubbing over the whole body with his palms he slips in the pin, and, it seemes, with shame and fear being dasht, they felt it not, but he left it in the flesh, deep to the head, and desired them to find and take it out. It is sure some witches were discovered but many honest men and women were blotted and break by this trick. In Elgin there were two killed; in Forres two; and one Margret Duff, a rank witch, burned in Inverness. This Paterson came up to the Church of Wardlaw, and within the church pricked 14 women and one man brought thither by the Chisholm of Commer, and 4 brought by Andrew Fraser, chamerlan of Ferrintosh. He first polled all their heads and amassed the heap of haire together, hid in the stone dich, and so proceeded to pricking. Severall of these dyed in prison never brought to confession. This villan gaind a great deale off mony, haveing two servants; at last he was discovered to be a woman disguished in mans cloathes. Such cruelty and rigure was sustained by a vile varlet imposture (Summers 74, 75).

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Mr. Paterson, Female Witch-Hunter copyrighted 1996-1998 to Shantell Powell.