An exorcism in Kirkcudbright from a Church of England perspective, 1695

[sir_guinglain]

Bod. MS Ballard 62 fo. 185 William Nicolson, dean of Carlisle, to Arthur Charlett, master of University College, Oxford, 22 April 1695:

I have it from a very discreet Person that in the County of Galloway, there has of late been disturbance made in a poor Mans House by a Spirit or Daemon, but of what order he cannot tell. It throws Stones & plays a great many Pranks. The Presbytry Kirkoubry assembled upon’t; & went in a body to exorcise it, & taken possession for themselves. It abused them, broke their Heads, & sent them away like so many Sons of Sceva. One of them had comply’d so far with the Fashions of the World, as to have on a Carrat Periwig: this the invisible Devil had a particular pique against, & pulled it off before the company, perhaps to see if the Reform’d Jesuit, had the Tonsure or not. The all fled off much wounded, the Devil being too hard for them: and whether they will complain of this ill treatment to the Assembly or no I cannot tell: were the House mine, I would as soon have the Goblin for my Tenant as those Jews and Sons of Jews.