A Historical Account of the Belief in Witchcraft in Scotland.

First Edition Thus. 268p., half title, title reinforced along margin, advertisements present at rear, publishers red cloth, original paper label on spine, slightly toned, 8vo, London; Hamilton, Adams and Co; Glasgow; Thomas D. Morison, 1884.

Known as a Scottish antiquary and artist, this work from Sharpe was first published in 1819 as part of Memorials by Robert Law. Walter Scott uses the information from Sharpe in his Letters on Demonology 1830, specifically the last case in Scotland of an unnamed woman who was executed at Dornoch. Sharpe dated the execution to 1722, adding further embellishments that the victim “sat very composedly warming herself by the fire prepared to consume her while the other instruments of death were making ready.” Sharpe’s date of 1722 was accepted by Scott, but maintains the date and information was derived from the Countess of Sutherland. Walter Scott, convinced that the countess was the subject of a witch hunt herself over the Sutherland Clearances, emphasised her good works.

As part of the book there is an 8 page list of Scottish books on Witchcraft.

[The Last of the Witches? The Survival of Scottish Witch Belief, Cowan and Henderson, 2002]