them from her Friends Whereupon I examin'd them strictly concerning that Matter and both of them declared that the said Woman left some things with them put up in a Sack but they delivered the same as she left it to her Friends and did not so much as know what was in it 3. I am informed that there was one Macknaught who formerly dwelt in that House and being under a Decay both as to his Person and Goods he sent his Son to a Witch who liv'd at Routing-Bridg in the Parish of Iron-Gray to know what might be the Cause of it But the Youth meeting some Foreign Souldiers in his way goes along with them to Flanders and never return'd with his Answer Some Years after there was one John Redick a Neighbour of Macknaught's that having occasion to go beyond-Sea met with young Macknaught in Flanders who enquiring after his Father and other Friends and understanding that John Redick was going Home desired him to acquaint his Father or any other whom he should find dwelling in Ringcroft that they must take up the Threshold of the Door and search for a Tooth which being found they must burn for none who dwelt in that House would ever thrive till this was performed But John Redick returning Home and finding old Macknaught dead and his Wife removed from the place took no notice of the Matter till he heard of the Spirit 's infecting Andrew Mackie's Family and then he told it me But there was one Thomas Telfair who dwelt in that same House for some Years betwixt Macknaught's Death and Andrew Mackie's Possession of it and being informed some other way of what the Witch had said to Macknaught's Son he took up the Threshold found the Tooth and and threw it into the Fire where it burnt like so much Tallow But he informs me that he never had any trouble during his abode there neither before nor after he burnt the Tooth This is all that hath ever been alledged to be the occasion of this Trouble so that I think the true Cause is still unknown and shall now come to the Matter of Fact In February last Andrew Mackie above-mentioned found some young Cattel of his always let loose in the Night and their Bindings broke which he conceived to proceed from their own unruliness and therefore he made stronger Bindings of Wit hs for them but they were broken still Then he began to suspect that it proceeded from some other Cause and therefore removed the Cattel to another House but the very first Night after he found one of the Beasts tied with an hair Rope to one of the Beams of the House so light that its Feet only touched the Ground and it could no way move it self yet it received no hurt Some Nights after a great Quantity of Peat * Firing made of Earth was brought into the middle of the House and set on fire when all the Family was asleep and if the Smoke had not awak'd them they had certainly been consum'd in the Flames but they extinguished the Fire and though they made a narrow search could neither hear nor see any Agent On the 7th of March following there were Stones thrown into all the parts of the House but they could not discover from whence they came nor what threw them and thus it continued till the Sabbath throwing in at times both by Day and by Night but chiefly in the Night-time On Saturday the Family being all without-doors the Children coming in saw something like a Person sitting by the Fire with a Blanket about it which frightned all of them but the youngest who being about ten Years of Age chid the rest for being afraid telling them that if they bless'd themselves they needed not fear and perceiving the Blanket to be his own blesses himself and saying Be what it will it hath nothing to do with my Blanket he runs and pulls the Blanket away but found nothing under it save a four-footed Stool turn'd up-side down On the Sabbath March 11. the Pot-hooks and Hanger were carried out of the Chimney and being wanted four days they found them at last in a Cockloft where they had search'd for them several times before but could not find them This is attested by Charles Macklelan * Lord of the Mannor Laird of Collin and John Cairns of Hardhills When it threw Stones at any Person it was observed that they had not half their natural Weight It threw them more frequently on the Sabbath than on other days and more then too when any Body was at Prayer and mostly at the Person praying Andrew Mackie having acquainted me with the Matter on the Sabbath Afternoon I went to his House on Tuesday after where I staid a considerable time and pray'd twice with the Family during which time there was no trouble Then I came out with a Resolution to go Home but as I was speaking to some Men at the end of the Barn I saw two little Stones drop down on a Field a little from me and forthwith some People came out of the House crying that the Spirit was become as troublesome there as ever Whereupon I returned to the House and while I was at Prayer it threw several small stones at me which did me no hurt After this it gave no farther disturbance to the Family till the 18th day of March that it began to throw Stones as before but more frequently and of greater weight so that they hurt more where they hit than those it threw formerly And thus it continued to the 21st when I went again to the House where it molested me mightily threw Stones and divers other things at me and beat me several times on the Shoulders and Sides with a great Staff so that those who were present heard the noise of the Blows That same Night it pull'd off the side of a Bed knock'd upon the Chests and Boards as People do at a Door †Attested by Charles Macclelan of Colline William Mackminn and John Tait of Torr. And as I was at Prayer leaning on the side of a Bed I felt something thrusting my Arm up and casting my Eyes thitherward perceived a little white Hand and an Arm from the Elbow down but it vanished presently On the 22d it grew more troublesome both to the People of the Family and to the Neighbours who came to visit them beat them with Stones and Staves and compelled some of them to leave the House contrary to their Inclination * Attested by Charles Mackclellan of Colline and Andr Tait of Torr. It threw Stones at some People as they came to the House and would pelt them with Stones about the Yards and sometimes threw Stones at them as they went from the House as particularly at Thomas Telfair of Stocking It wounded the above-named Andrew Mackie the Master of the Family on the Forehead and thrust him several times by the Shoulders which he seeming not to regard it caught him by the
hurt it threw another at him as big as a Man's Fist with great force while he was at Prayer which hit him on the Breast but did neither hurt nor disturb him It was thought fit that one of the Ministers with another Person should go out by turns and stand under the Hole on the outside whereupon it forbore throwing in any more Stones at that place But the Barn being joined to the end of the House it forced open the Barn-door broke down the Partition-wall and threw Stones into the House that way but without doing much hurt to the People After that it took hold of some of them by the Legs as if it had been with a Man's Hand it hoisted up the Feet of others while standing on the Ground and thus it did to William Lennox Laird of Millhouse to my self and others and continued troubling the People in that manner till ten a Clock at Night but after that it desisted while we were about the House Attested by Mr. James Monteith Mr John Murdo Mr. Samuel Spalding Mr. Falconer William Lennox and John Tait On the 11th 12th and 13th it raged more than ever and none who came into the House during that time escaped heavy Blows Andrew Tait of Torr coming to stay with the Family one of these Nights his Dog catcht a Fulmard by the way which Andrew threw aside when he came into the House and three more young Men coming in also to bear the Family company the evil Spirit beat all of them with the dead Fulmard as they were at Prayer at which the three who came in last and knew nothing of the Fulmard were much affrighted especially one of them called Samuel Thomson whom it grip'd hard by the Side and Back and thrust an Hand as he conceived beneath his Clothes and into his Pocket which frightned him so much that he fell sick upon it immediately Attested by Andrew Tait On the 14th being Sabbath-day the evil Spirit set fire to some Straw that was in the Corn-yard and continued throwing Stones till ten a Clock at Night It did also throw a ditching Spade at Andrew Mackie with the Mouth towards him but he received no hurt by it After this it toss'd a Meal-sive about the House which Andrew Mackie catch'd at and with much difficulty kept his hold then it tore the Sive from the Rim and wrapping it up together threw it at Thomas Robertson of Airds by whom this Passage is attested On the 15th of April William Anderson a Grasier and James Paterson his Son-in-Law came to the House with the Laird of Colline and the Latter going home at Night Andrew Mackie sent his Sons to wait on him who as they return'd were cruelly stoned by the Spirit and the Stones did so tumble amongst their Legs that they were in hazard of being broke by them A little after they returned to the House it wounded William Anderson in the Head and occasioned him to bleed very much In time of Prayer it whistled groan'd and cryed Hush Hush Attested by John Cairns On the 16th it continued whistling groaning and throwing Stones in time of Prayer crying also Bo Bo Kick Cuck pulling the Men backward and forward and hoisting them up from their Knees Attested by Andrew Tait That Night Andrew Mackie and his Family left the House and went to a Neighbour's desiring five of his Friends to stay in the House but it did no hurt that night neither to those left in the House nor to Andrew Mackie and his Family nor the Neighbour's where they lodged only it threw Andrew Mackie's Cattel upon one another as they were fastned to their Stakes which had like to have killed them and some of them it let loose Attested by John Cairns On the 18th Andrew Mackie and his Family returned to the House and received no hurt that night only it tied some Sheep which were at a little House at the distance of three or four pair of Butts together in pairs by the Neck with Ropes made of Straw that it had taken from the Stable and left some Ropes behind which it did not make use of Attested by Andrew Tait On the 19th it set fire to the Straw in the Barn where Andrew Mackie was threshing but he put it out before it did any dammage and then it thrust Staves through the Wall at him but did him no hurt On the 20th it continued throwing Stones whistling and hushing and using all its former words When it hit any body it said Take you that till you get more then it would certainly hit them again but when it said only take you that then it desisted throwing at that Person for some time Attested by John Tait On the 21st 22d and 23d it continued throwing stones beating with Staves and throwing Mud in the Faces of all that were in the House especially in time of Prayer On the 24th which was appointed to be kept as a Day of Humiliation by the Parish upon that Account it continued throwing stones from morning to night in a most fearful manner without intermission so that all in the House were afraid of being killed On the 25th it threw stones all night but did no great hurt On the 26th it threw stones in the Evening knocked several times on the Chests began to speak and call those who were then in the House Witches and Rooks saying it would take them to Hell Whereupon the People said among themselves that it would now speak if it had any to speak to it Then they awak'd Andrew Mackie the Master of the House who hearing it say Thou shalt be troubled till Tuesday asked Who gave it a Commission To which it answered God gave me a Commission and I am sent to warn the Land to repent for a Judgment is to come if the Land do not quickly repent and commanded him to reveal it upon his Peril And if the Land did not repent it said it would go to its Father and get a Commission to return with an hundred worse than it self and would trouble every particular Family in the Land Upon which Andrew Mackie said to the Company if I should tell this no body would believe me Then it answered Fetch Betters fetch the Minister of the Parish and two honest Men upon Tuesday night and I shall declare before them what I have to say After which it said Praise me and I will whistle to you worship me and I will trouble you no more Andrew Mackie answered The Lord who delivered the three Children out of the fiery Furnace deliver me and mine this Night from the Temptations of Satan then it replied You might as well have said Shadrach Meshech and Abednego While Andrew Mackie was speaking one James Telfair of Buttle offer'd to put in a word whereupon the Spirit told him You are basely bred meddling in other Mens Discourse wherein you are not concerned It likewise said Remove your Goods for I will burn the House He answered The Lord stop
Satan's Fury and hinder him of his Designs It replied I will do it or you shall guide well Attested by John Tait of Torr and several others On the 27th it set the House on fire seven times and on the 28th which was Sabbath-day it continued setting fire to the House from Sun-rising to Sun-setting and as it was quenched in one part it was instantly set on fire in another and when it could not get its Design of burning the House accomplish'd it pull'd down one end of it in the Evening so that the People could not stay in it any longer but went and kindled their Fire in the Stable On the Sabbath-night it pulled one of the Children out of the Bed and catching hold of him as he thought by the Neck and Shoulders took up a great Log of Wood and holding it over the Children said If I had a Commission I would brain them This was heard by all the People in the House and attested by William Mackminn and John Corsby On the 29th being Monday it continued setting fire to the House so frequently that Andrew Mackie being weary with quenching it he put out all the Fire about the House and poured Water on the Hearth yet it set the House on fire again several times tho there was no fire to be had within a quarter of a Mile of the House Attested by Charles Macclelan and John Cairns About the middle of that Day as Andrew Mackie was threshing in the Barn it whispered in the Wall and then cried Andrew Andrew but he gave no answer to it Then with an austere angry Voice it bid him speak but he kept silent Then it said Be not troubled you shall have no more trouble except some throwing of Stones upon the Tuesday to fulfil the Promise and then bid him take away the Straw I came to the House much about that time after which it set fire to the same once I staid there till between three and four of the Clock on Tuesday morning during which time there was no trouble about the House except that two little stones drop'd down by the fire at our first coming in but a little after I went away it began to throw stones as formerly Attested by Charles Mackleland and John Tait On Tuesday night being the third of April Charles Macklellan of Colline with several Neighbours being in the Barn at Prayers he observed a black thing in the corner of the same which increased gradually as if it would have fill'd the whole House he could not discern any distinct Form it had but only that it resembled a black Cloud It was very frightning to them all and threw Barley Chaff and Mud in their Faces It did also gripe some of them by the Middle Arms and other Parts so hard that for five days after they thought they felt those Gripes and about two hours after it grew dark it ceased troubling them any further for that night Attested by Charles Macklelan Thomas Mackminn Andrew Palin John Cairns and John Tait On Wednesday night being the 1st of May it fired a little Sheep-house which was intirely consumed but the Sheep were got out safe and since that time it never gave any farther trouble to Ringcroft All these things being of undoubted Verity I conclude with that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Be sober be vigilant because your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in the Faith The Particulars of this Relation are severdly attested by those who were Witnesses to the respective Parts of it viz. Mr. Andrew AEwart Minister of Kel Mr. James Monteith Minister of Borg. Mr. John Murdo Minister of Carsmichel Mr. Samuel Spalding Minister of Parn. Mr. William Falconer Minister of Keln Charles Macklellan Laird of Colline William Lennox Laird of Milhouse Andrew Tait of Torr. John Tait of Torr. John Cairns of Hardhills William Mackminn Andrew Palin c. FINIS