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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / November 2004Scot Witches/Cats Pardoned
a rather surprising (to me) Halloween-related news story - Baron Prestoungrange must be a cat person, to remember the kitties too :) http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/10/29/britain.witches.ap/index.html Town to officially pardon executed witches 3,500 women and children killed in witch hunts Friday, October 29, 2004 Posted: 12:00 PM EDT (1600 GMT) PRESTONPANS, Scotland (AP) -- Accused witches -- and their cats -- executed during a wave of hysteria and religious ferment centuries ago will be pardoned on Halloween in this Scottish township. "There'll be no witches' hats, dress-ups or that sort of thing -- it will be a fairly solemn occasion," Adele Conn, spokeswoman for the baronial court that granted the pardons, said by telephone interview Friday. Sunday's ceremony will publicly declare pardons for 81 local people executed in the 16th and 17th centuries for being witches. The pardons have been granted under ancient feudal powers due to be abolished within weeks. More than 3,500 Scots, mainly woman and children, and their cats were killed in witch hunts at a time of political intrigue and religious ferment. Many were condemned on flimsy evidence, such as owning a black cat or brewing homemade remedies. Prestonpans region had recorded one of the largest numbers of witch executions in all of Scotland, said Conn, who is the "mountjoye," or official spokeswoman, for the Barons Courts of Prestoungrange & Dolphinstoun. She said Gordon Prestoungrange, the 14th baron, granted the pardons for the convictions in the last session of his court, which is due to be abolished on November 28. "'Most of those persons condemned for witchcraft within the jurisdiction of the Baron Courts of Prestoungrange and Dolphinstoun were convicted on the basis of spectral evidence -- that is to say, prosecuting witnesses declared that they felt the presence of evil sprits or heard spirit voices,"' the court said in its written findings. "Such spectral evidence is impossible to prove or to disprove; nor is it possible for the accused to cross-examine the spirit concerned. One is convicted upon the very making of such charges without any possibility of offering a defense." The court declared an absolute pardon to all those convicted, "as well as to the cats concerned." Conn said 15 local descendants of executed witches had been invited to attend the ceremony and inaugural Witches' Remembrance Day, which will become an annual event in the township each Halloween. "It's too late to apologize but it's a sort of symbolic recognition that these people were put to death for hysterical ignorance and paranoia," said local historian Roy Pugh, who presented evidence to the court in support of the pardons. The last execution for witchcraft in Scotland was in 1727. Such cases were outlawed by the Witchcraft Act of 1735, which made it a crime only to pretend to be a witch. Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com Religious ferment? (While the technical meaning is close to fervent... isn't ferment more of a *chemical* reaction, and fervent more emotional? Beer ferments, crowds get fervent.) TBird <---- LOL > a rather surprising (to me) Halloween-related news story - Baron > Prestoungrange must be a cat person, to remember the kitties too :) [quoted text clipped - 65 lines] > ============ > http://www.jhedge.com >Religious ferment? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >TBird <---- LOL I didn't even notice that when I read or copy/paste the original article. It looked like a typo (foment?) to me too, so I looked it up. Believe it or not, a tertiary definition for "ferment" (according to dictonary.com) seems to support cnn.com's usage: fer·ment (fûrmnt) n. 1. Something, such as a yeast, bacterium, mold, or enzyme, that causes fermentation. 2. Fermentation. 3. a. A state of agitation or of turbulent change or development. b. An agent that precipitates or is capable of precipitating such a state; a catalyst. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ferment You learn something new every day, eh? At least I did on this one :) Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com >Religious ferment? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >TBird <---- LOL No, I've heard of religious ferment, and social ferment. It's a metaphor. "The Reformation was a time of great social and religious ferment." Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com I was going to say the same ferment is correct when used in such Religious terms but reading a bit further I see you were all ahead of me, silly me I should have known Jean.P. > >Religious ferment? > > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh > My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com > a rather surprising (to me) Halloween-related news story - Baron > Prestoungrange must be a cat person, to remember the kitties too :) Probably owns a black one :) It's about time! Wonder if this will ever happen in the States (gotta love them New Englanders!) Jill > > a rather surprising (to me) Halloween-related news story - Baron > > Prestoungrange must be a cat person, to remember the kitties too :) [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Jill IIRC, some years ago, the Salem "witches" were pardoned and an apology issued. LT Jeanne H wrote: >Town to officially pardon executed witches >3,500 women and children killed in witch hunts [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >baronial court that granted the pardons, said by telephone interview >Friday. No "witches' hats, dress-ups, or that sort of thing"?! Then why do it on Halloween? This action by the 'baronial court' strikes me as a just a cheap attempt to grab some last-minute publicity for an outdated, self-important collection of otherwise useless descendents of those who were lucky enough to run a country which had been 'civilized' far too long to have committed these barbaric executions. This 'pardoning' only make sense when you ponder the implications of the fact that the ancestors of the baronial court were the chief judges and prosecutors. That is to say that the court reaffirms the legal 'legitimacy' that it held at the time and merely disagrees with the verdicts. What would make sense now would be to retroactively proclaim the guilt of the prosecutors and judges involved in the murdering innocent women and children and their helpless pets. >Prestonpans region had recorded one of the largest numbers of witch >executions in all of Scotland, said Conn, who is the "mountjoye," or >official spokeswoman, for the Barons Courts of Prestoungrange & >Dolphinstoun. >She said Gordon Prestoungrange, the 14th baron, granted the pardons >for the convictions in the last session of his court, which is due to >be abolished on November 28. Conn and Prestoungrange should hang their heads in shame rather than announcing the magnanimous act of pardoning innocent people. >"'Most of those persons condemned for witchcraft within the >jurisdiction of the Baron Courts of Prestoungrange and Dolphinstoun >were convicted on the basis of spectral evidence -- that is to say, >prosecuting witnesses declared that they felt the presence of evil >sprits or heard spirit voices,"' the court said in its written >findings. Oh, so is the court saying that there were some convicted on basis of 'real' evidence. >"Such spectral evidence is impossible to prove or to disprove; nor is >it possible for the accused to cross-examine the spirit concerned. One >is convicted upon the very making of such charges without any >possibility of offering a defense." Oh, puh-leeez! Do these descendents of wealth and privilege have the nerve to imply that had there been better evidence, the executions would have been legitimate -- it seems so. >The court declared an absolute pardon to all those convicted, "as well >as to the cats concerned." How generous! A pardon implies that the defendant was guilty but that the court or government body involved forgoes the punishment. Source: American Heritage Dictionary... par·don tr.v. par·doned, par·don·ing, par·dons. 1. To release (a person) from punishment; exempt from penalty: a convicted criminal who was pardoned by the governor. 2. To let (an offense) pass without punishment. >Conn said 15 local descendants of executed witches had been invited to >attend the ceremony and inaugural Witches' Remembrance Day, which will >become an annual event in the township each Halloween. As Marx said, "History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce". The farce though is not going to be the "Witches Remembrance Day" but the proclamation of the pardon during the ceremonies. >"It's too late to apologize but it's a sort of symbolic recognition >that these people were put to death for hysterical ignorance and >paranoia," said local historian Roy Pugh, who presented evidence to >the court in support of the pardons. And who apparently lent whatever legitimacy his name holds in the field of history to this charade. Is it his premise that exculpatory evidence was really needed in this case. This affair seems to be no less a 'show trial' than the originals. >The last execution for witchcraft in Scotland was in 1727. Such cases >were outlawed by the Witchcraft Act of 1735, which made it a crime >only to pretend to be a witch. So as late as 1727 'witches' and their poor defenseless pets were still being hung in the town squares of Scotland. Just think, it only took 277 years for this inbred descendant of a revoltingly outdated aristocracy to admit that there was and injustice done. How 'noble' of him. O J >Jeanne H wrote: >>The last execution for witchcraft in Scotland was in 1727. Such cases >>were outlawed by the Witchcraft Act of 1735, which made it a crime [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >aristocracy to admit that there was and injustice done. How 'noble' >of him. Hung in 1727, but still being tried in the Old Bailey in 1944. In 1944 a British woman was prosecuted for and convicted of being a witch, and served jail time for it. The British Witchcraft Act wasn't repealed until 1951. http://www.parascope.com/articles/slips/fs23_1.htm http://www.100megsfree4.com/farshores/pwitch.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/52289.stm Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com > In 1944 a British woman was prosecuted for and convicted of being a > witch, and served jail time for it. The British Witchcraft Act wasn't > repealed until 1951. Wow! The things you don't know... Joyce > > In 1944 a British woman was prosecuted for and convicted of being a > > witch, and served jail time for it. The British Witchcraft Act wasn't > > repealed until 1951. > >Wow! The things you don't know... And the tidbits you stumble over by accident ^_^ Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha ============ http://www.jhedge.com Joyce W. wrote: >Jeanne H. wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Wow! The things you don't know... Well, 1951 was when the Witchcraft Act of 1735 was replaced with another law which modernized the definitions and provisions of the law. The 1735 act did two things, it did away with the crime of practicing witchcraft for real, and it had a provision prohibiting people from pretending to be witches (ie: offering to act as a medium, selling love potions, etc.) If someone was convicted in 1944, it was for pretending to be a witch. I've pasted the beginning of the 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act below. I copied my remarks to another group, soc.religion.paganism with this as part of the preface: >My observations are a little strident and didactic, but not > nearly so much as being hung for the sake of mass hysteria. I certainly don't apologize for my remarks. There should be an investigation to see of the current baron's ancestors sat on that court. If so, I think the baron should retroactively declare his ancestors to have been murderers and turn over all his inherited property (if there is any) to those fifteen descendants of the so-called 'witches' who were tortured and executed. That would be an apology, not a great one, but acceptable. Hara-kiri might be even better. O J >Fraudulent Mediums Act 1951 > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >exercise such powers as aforesaid, uses any fraudulent device, >shall be guilty of an offence. > I certainly don't apologize for my remarks. There should be an > investigation to see of the current baron's ancestors sat on that [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > apology, not a great one, but acceptable. Hara-kiri might be even > better. I really don't see the point in retroactive punishment or apologies or pardons when the people actually involved are dead, and I am positively opposed to any type of group or inherited guilt. The descendents of the witches have no claim on the courts that condemned them, and the descendents of the people who ran the courts have no guilt or responsibilty to apologize for or pardon. I have no idea what this particular group is planning to gain by their efforts or what point they are trying to make, but it sounds like some form of historical revisionism. That's another fallacy that annoys me - the idea that we can easily even understand, much less judge, long ago actions in another culture (which the past, even our country's own, is) using our own morality, which will probably be seen as equally barbaric a few hundred years in the future. /rant off. Cheryl > a rather surprising (to me) Halloween-related news story - Baron > Prestoungrange must be a cat person, to remember the kitties too :) IIRC the reason there so few totally black cats around today is many were killed as witches familiers. Most black cats now have a few white hairs, or sometimes only one.  SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. |
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