Elspeth Mcewan: The Life And Death Of An Accused Witch / Galloway Conversations

Ros Ollin tells us about the life and death of Elspeth McEwen, famous for being the last woman burned as a witch in Dumfries and Galloway. Accused of witchcraft by neighbours in the Glenkens, she was sent to Tolbooth prison in Kirkcudbright. She endured torture and terrible conditions for two long years before confessing and being brought to trial. She was executed in 1698. The book, 'Restoring Elspeth' by Ros Ollin, shares sequence of poems, written to give her a different story, not a folktale character, but as a real, complex human being in a world shaped by religion and superstition. Ros Ollin wanted to explore why it took her so long to confess and the mystery of who really wanted her dead.
This talk is grounded in the book which took six years of research. The few facts available were-cross checked, and events reconstructed using the real historical context. Every person named in the poems really existed and as new information emerged, writing the poems became a process of discovering history. I have shared historical notes as a resource for anyone who is interested in exploring more.
Elspeth's dreadful end is known - one of countless people over centuries, silenced for other people's gain. In Restoring Elspeth' Ros Ollin wanted to remind us of her humanity and how each story can be shaped in different ways, depending on who tells it. In current times it is often difficult to distinguish fact from fake. Reflecting on how we can trust the stories people tell is more important than ever. The poems finish on a note of hope.
This event was made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to The National Lottery Players.