400 years on, fury at honour for ‘murderous’ witch-finder
HE was a 17th century Scots minister renowned for his ‘rousing sermons’.
But a plan to name a holiday flat in Edinburgh after the Rev William Struthers has sparked fury, with critics saying he persecuted women as a witch-finder.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has been condemned as ‘extraordinarily insensitive’ – and campaigners say the move would never be considered had he been involved in the slave trade.
The plans will mean a flat in the restored 500-year-old Gladstone’s Land building, on the Royal Mile, will be named after Struthers, a minister at St Giles’s Cathedral.
But he was implicated in the death of at least one woman.
In an article promoting the move, the NTS said: ‘Famous for his rousing sermons, he published books with fearsome-sounding titles such as A Resolution For Death and was involved in the trial of women suspect of witchcraft – among them Marion Mure of Leith, executed in 1632.
‘The apartment includes playful references to the life and times of this cantankerous figure.’
But historian DJ JohnstonSmith said it was vital to acknowledge ‘the historic wrongs of the Scottish witch mania’.
He added: ‘In an act more befitting a horror-themed venue, NTS have decided to honour an obscure former owner of part of the building, who is implicated in the death of one “witch” and the arrest and torture of at least two others.
‘As most public bodies are reassessing sites, this is an extraordinary action.’
Claire Mitchell, QC, of Witches of Scotland, which campaigns for pardons for those convicted of witchcraft, said: ‘Had he been involved in the slave trade, would consideration be given to naming the room after him? I think not.
The fact a “holiday apartment” is being named after him seems extraordinarily insensitive.’
The NTS said Struthers had a ‘minor role’ in Mure’s trial, with no evidence he was involved in the decision to execute her. A spokesman added: ‘The decision was primarily motivated by his significant position as a Kirk minister and prominent role in Edinburgh society. He was also a notable benefactor to the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
‘We would like to talk with Witches of Scotland about how we represent this challenging element of Scotland’s history.’