A Fife historian who has been campaigning for the UK’s first witch monument to be built in the East Neuk is exploring the possibility that the project could be funded by sympathetic Americans.
Leonard Low had proposed the memorial be built at the village’s West Brae, in memory of 26 local victims who were falsely accused of witchcraft. He told The Courier he has been contacted by a representative of an American Scottish Association which wants to help with fundraising for a permanent memorial in the East Neuk.
Mr Low spoke this week following the recent decision by Pittenweem Community Council to vote against creating the country’s first official memorial to witches tortured and killed by vengeful mobs in the 18th century.
Last month, residents of Pittenweem took part in a community council-organised referendum on whether they wanted a memorial and where it should be built.
But after the community delivered a 50-50 split result, the community council decided they will not be supporting the monument.
Mr Low said he thought the community council’s decision was ”pathetic,” and described the vote result as a ”complete joke”.
At least 26 ”witches” were tortured and 18 of them killed in the picturesque fishing village in the early 18th century. During the witch trials at Pittenweem, 16 of the accused were burnt at the stake, and one died during torture.
The most notorious witch killing was that of Janet Cornfoot, who was tortured and killed in 1705. After she was accused of witchcraft, Cornfoot was swung from a rope, stoned, and then crushed under a heavy door piled high with boulders.
To make quite certain she was dead, a horse and cart was repeatedly driven over her body and her remains buried in the area called West Braes.
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Sandy Guthrie, community council chairman, said in a weekend report: ”The opinion in Pittenweem is completely divided half and half and so we are not supporting it. If there had been an overwhelming support then we would have gone ahead but as far as the council is concerned it will have to be done privately and without our support.
”I was expecting the vote to be quite divided, but as there was no positive reaction then we have gone down that road.”
The local council wrote to every adult in the community asking if they agreed in principle with the plan to build a memorial.
But Mr Low called the community council’s decision not to honour the Pittenweem witches ”pathetic”.
He told The Courier:”It was a farcical vote. The result came out as a draw so they decided not to go ahead with it. It’s a great pity the debate turned into one about money. There’s nothing more I can do to influence the community council.
“But there have been further developments. In America news has spread and I have been contacted by a woman connected with the Scottish associations over there who wants to help. She has made encouraging noises that they could help with fundraising. It’s early days, but I’m excited that there are people out there wanting to help.”
Mr Low said it is a chance for Pittenweem folk to ”put themselves on the map” as the place with the first official apology to ‘witches’ in the UK.
He added: ”In Salem they had the exact same scenario but the church backed a motion to build a memorial, and it has become a massive tourist attraction, bringing in millions of pounds a year.
”I have received a lot of support for the monument and even though it is very disappointing result, I think the fact that it came this far, after 300 years, and has got people talking, is a success.”