John Fian was a Scottish schoolmaster in Prestonpans, East Lothian and purported sorcerer. He confessed to have a compact with the devil while acting as register and scholar to several witches in North Berwick Kirk. He was accused of bewitching townsfolk, preaching witchcraft, and, along with Agnes Sampson and others, raising storms to sink the fleet of King James VI of Scotland and his wife Anne of Denmark as they returned from Copenhagen, having been married in Oslo. He along with several other witches were arrested, examined and put to torture, in what would become known as the North Berwick witch trials.
Illustration of Doctor Fian drawing conjuration circles with the bewitched cow, from the English pamphlet Newes from Scotland
Prestonpans is a small mining town, situated approximately eight miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the council area of East Lothian. The population as of 2020 is
10,460. It is near the site of the 1745 Battle of Prestonpans. Prestonpans is "Scotland's Mural Town", with many murals depicting local history.
Prestonpans Old Parish Church
Royal unicorn on Preston Cross
Prestonpans Town Hall
War Memorial statue by Birnie Rhind (1921)