Lilias Adie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lilias Adie
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A 3D digital image of Lilias Adie's face, made by forensic artists at the University of Dundee.
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| Born | c. 1640 |
| Died | 1704 (age 60+) |
| Body discovered | Torryburn Bay |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Known for | Only person accused of witchcraft in Scotland with a known grave |
Lilias Adie (around 1640 – 1704) was a Scottish woman from the village of Torryburn, Fife. She was accused of witchcraft but died in prison before a decision could be made about her case. Her grave, which is covered by the tide, is the only known one in Scotland for someone accused of witchcraft. Most people accused of this crime were burned.
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Lilias Adie's Story
Lilias Adie's name has been spelled in different ways, like Lilly, Addie, and Eddie. In 1704, she was put in prison because people thought she was a witch. We know her story from old church records from that year.
Many people in the Fife area became ill around this time. This led to a short but strong period of hunting for witches. A woman named Jean Bizet accused Lilias Adie of witchcraft. She warned people, "beware lest Lilias Adie come upon you and your child." This led to Lilias's arrest. She was likely over 60 years old at the time.
Lilias was taken to the local minister, Rev. Allan Logan. For more than a month, she was kept in prison. She was questioned very harshly day after day. Finally, she "confessed" to being a witch.
Her "Confession"
Lilias Adie's "confession" described how the devil first visited her. She said he wore a hat and met her in a cornfield at sunset. Under the minister's questions, she explained how the devil made her give up her baptism. She also said he had "cold pale skin and cloven-hoofed feet like a cow."
After this first meeting, she said the devil would visit her house "like a shadow." Lilias also claimed she went to other meetings and danced with the devil and other witches. Even with many questions, Lilias would not tell the names of these other witches. Lilias Adie died before her case was finished.
Where Lilias Adie Was Buried
In 2014, people became very interested in Lilias Adie's story. A historian and BBC broadcaster, Dr. Louise Yeoman, and an archaeologist, Douglas Speirs, decided to look for her burial site. They used old documents from the 1800s.
They found a large stone covered in seaweed exactly where the papers said it would be. It was among some rocks near the Torryburn railway bridge. The documents described it as "the great stone doorstep that lies over the rifled grave of Lilly Eadie." There was also a rock with "the remains of an iron ring."
Lilias Adie had been buried on the beach at Torryburn Bay. She was placed in a simple wooden box under this heavy sandstone slab. Her grave was between the low and high tide marks. The huge half-ton stone showed that local people were afraid. They worried the devil might bring her back to life to "torment the living."
What Happened to Her Remains
Sadly, Lilias Adie's remains were dug up by people looking for old items in 1852. At that time, it was reported that her coffin was about 1.98 meters (6 feet 6 inches) long. Her thighbones were found to be as long as those of a man who was 1.8 meters (6 feet) tall. She still had most of her teeth, which were described as "white and fresh."
Her skull was later kept in a private museum in Dunfermline in 1875. A doctor from Dunfermline showed it to a medical group in 1884. It was then held at the Museum of the University of St Andrews, but it has since disappeared. The skull was last seen in 1938 at an exhibition in Glasgow.
Even parts of Lilias's coffin became souvenirs. A walking stick, believed to be made from the wood of her coffin, was given to the Pittencrieff House Museum in 1927. It had a silver band engraved with "Lilias Addie, 1704."
How Her Face Was Recreated
In 1904, two hundred years after Lilias Adie died, photographs were taken of her remains. These photos are now kept at the National Library of Scotland.
In 2017, Dr. Christopher Rynn and a team of forensic artists used these old photographs. They worked at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) at the University of Dundee. They created a 3D digital model and an image of what Lilias Adie's face might have looked like.
Lilias Adie's Legacy
Louise Yeoman, the historian, spoke about Lilias Adie. She said that Lilias was a very smart and creative person. The cruel questioning was meant to make her name other people. But Lilias said she couldn't name other women at the witch gatherings because they wore masks like important ladies. She only gave names that were already known. She kept finding good reasons not to identify other women for such terrible treatment. This was despite the fact that it probably meant her own suffering would not stop.
It is sad to think her neighbors expected a scary monster. But Lilias was actually an innocent person who suffered terribly. The only monstrous thing was the unfairness of the justice system.
Fife Council has started a campaign to find out what happened to Lilias Adie's remains. They want to give them a proper burial. Douglas Speirs said it is time to change the story. He wants people to see beyond the "Halloween-style" witch. Instead, he wants them to understand the unfair treatment and suffering women faced during witch-hunts.
Councillor Julie Ford, who leads the campaign, said it is important to remember that Lilias Adie and thousands of others accused of witchcraft were not evil. They were innocent victims of a time when people did not understand things well. She hopes that by sharing Lilias's story, her missing remains can be found and given the respectful rest they deserve.
On August 31, 2019, 315 years after Lilias died in prison, a special service was held in Torryburn. A wreath was placed at her grave site. This was done to raise awareness about the unfair treatment these women and men faced in Fife during the witch panics.
There are also plans for a permanent memorial in Torryburn. It would be dedicated to Lilias and all the other women who were unfairly treated across Scotland.
See also
- Margaret Aitken (the Great Witch of Balwearie, Fife)
