YOUNG, Issobell, born parish of Dunbar c. 1565, died Edinburgh, Feb. 1629. Indicted for witchcraft. Wife of tenant-farmer.

Issobell Young was first accused of witchcraft on 8 January 1619 and eventually tried in February 1629, when she was at least 65 years old. Her husband George Smith, a portioner of East Barns, Dunbar, testified against her. Three of their four married sons testified for her.

References to Issobell Young's work scattered through the abundant surviving documents make it possible to sketch her life before her trial. The family had a secure and heritable lease to one portion of the lands and village of East Barns, Dunbar, for most of her adult life. She and George Smith held the smallest of the three portions, and fought to increase their social status. They owned livestock, barns and outbuildings and employed about ten servants. In addition to managing a household of around 15 permanent members, which probably increased during planting and harvest, Issobell Young took crops to the mill, bought and sold goods and produce, and cared for animals. She undoubtedly also raised her children, cooked, cleaned, mended, and gathered peat, wood and water.

Witness testimony suggests that although in control of her life, Issobell Young was not happy with her economic and social position. Her neighbours believed that she used harmful magic to damage the profitability of their households as a strategy to advance her own. Neighbours recalled patterns of verbal and sometimes physical aggression. A jury of their peers believed them. Issobell Young's testimony provides a rare insight into how an early modern woman saw herself. She rejected the connection between her speech and behaviour and her neighbours’ misfortunes. Rather than denying her quarrels, as some witchcraft suspects did, she justified them, describing her reactions to her neighbours as normal. She described her words as ‘ordinarlie blastis of anger’, or the ‘bragis [threats] of passionat wemen’ (Selected Justiciary Cases, pp. 101, 104). She called herself an ‘honest woman’ (NRS, JC26/9), and said her neighbours’ misfortunes were due to their own immorality, God's judgement, or their own laziness and incompetence. She became the persecuted, honest, good Christian wife and neighbour. Her self-presented image only partially failed. She was acquitted on ten of the charges and only on one charge was unanimously found guilty. After her trial she was taken to Castle Hill, Edinburgh, tied to a stake, strangled and burned.