In the summer of 1628, amidst the turbulent backdrop of early modern Scotland where accusations of witchcraft could unsettle entire communities, Agnes Liddell, a resident of the coastal town of Prestonpans in Haddington, found herself ensnared in the grip of these perilous trials. The records designate the 15th of July as a pivotal date in Agnes's life, marking the commencement of legal proceedings against her under case number C/EGD/1019. Although specifics of the accusations are not detailed in the surviving documents, the mere fact of being implicated in witchcraft carried severe ramifications, often rooted in local disputes or inexplicable misfortunes attributed to supposed malevolent influences.
Agnes's trial took place in Edinburgh, as recorded in document T/LA/491, aligning with a period when the city served as a central hub for such proceedings within Scotland. The trial in Edinburgh would have meant that Agnes was transported from her home in Prestonpans to face interrogation and judgement in a more formal setting, indicative of the seriousness with which her case was pursued. The capital's courts were instrumental in enforcing the Witchcraft Act of 1563, which prohibited witchcraft and associated practices. Details of the trial, including witness testimonies or judicial outcomes, remain absent from the records at hand; however, the mere fact of standing trial under suspicion of witchcraft placed Agnes among the many who navigated the precarious intersection of local folklore, societal fears, and harsh legal repercussions of the time.