Agnes Hendersoun, a resident of St Ninians in Stirling, found herself at the center of a witchcraft accusation in the year 1628, a time when fear and suspicion of witchcraft ran rampant across Scotland. As part of the large-scale witch hunts that plagued the period, her case is numbered C/EGD/1013 and offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of those ensnared by the witch trials. Agnes’s trial, documented under T/LA/487, reflects a society deeply entrenched in the belief of supernatural forces and the impact such beliefs had on individuals within tight-knit communities.
The records reveal that the trial took place on the 3rd of July, 1628—a date marking a significant moment in Agnes's life as she faced the tribunal. These proceedings, held in Stirling, would have likely encompassed testimonies that both accused and defended her while adhering to the formalities of the time. Although the specific charges and outcome remain undisclosed in this particular record, we can infer that the atmosphere surrounding the trial was fraught with tension, as was common in cases of alleged witchcraft, where the mere whisper of an accusation could alter lives irreversibly. Through the lens of Agnes Hendersoun’s story, one can observe the overwhelming power of societal fears and the harsh realities faced by those accused in early modern Scotland.