Peebles "Witch" Hunt Memorial Campaign

The motion

That the Parliament supports the work of campaigners in Peebles who are seeking to site a memorial in the town for the 27 local people - 21 women and six men - who it understands were brutally executed in 1629 under the provisions of the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563; understands that campaigners plan to identify and mark the fabled site of the executions, called Calf Knowe, and to erect a memorial in a central, accessible location in the town, which can be seen by residents and visitors alike; further understands that the purpose of a memorial, in addition to remembering individual victims, is also to serve as a reminder of what it considers that injustice, abuse and misogyny can lead to both in the past and in the present; believes that the campaigners have consulted their community to identify support for a memorial, and are seeking no public money for the memorial, which will be funded entirely by donations only; notes that the campaign for a Peebles memorial to those accused of witchcraft is being led by residents, Simon Ritchie and Elisa Smith, and is in line with the wider national campaign for an official pardon of the accused of witchcraft in Scotland, reportedly numbering some 4,000 accused, tortured, and burned to death, and for a national memorial, and notes the names of the twenty-seven executed people in Peebles in 1629 as Agnes Chalmers, Sussanna Elphinstoun, Margaret Yerkine, William Thomesoun, William Mathesoun, Thomas Stoddart, Agnes Robesoun, Katherine Broun, Marie Johnestoun, Janet Hendersoun, Agnes Thomesoun, Katherine Wode, Marion Crosier, Issobel Haddock, Gilbert Hogg, Jean Watsoun, Margaret Dicksoun, Margaret Johnestoun, Janet Achesoun, Bessie Ur, Katherine Alexander, Helen Beatie, Margaret Gowanlock, Marion Boyd, Katherine Mairschell, Patrick Lintoun, and John Graham.

No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

SNP 15 Con 2 Lab 2

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S6M-04744 by reference.