In the historical annals of the witch trials of early modern Scotland, the case of an individual known only as Cowie stands out. Hailing from the Fishertown of Bownes in Aberdeen, Cowie made a modest living as a brewster, a role typically associated with the brewing and selling of ale. This was a common occupation for women of lower socioeconomic status during this period. However, it was her trade and perhaps the convergence of unfavorable events that led to Cowie's entanglement with the notorious witch trials that swept through Scotland from the 16th to the 18th century.
The court records from the 8th of September, 1630, encapsulate the crux of Cowie's ordeal under the docket C/EGD/1245. Accused of participating in what is cryptically labeled as a "witches' meeting," the charges levied against her were as nebulous as they were grave, reflecting a society rife with fear and suspicion of diabolical collusion. The ambiguity surrounding the number of such meetings purportedly attended by Cowie leaves much to the imagination, but the singular mention in the records speaks to the pervasive fear of congregation perceived as unholy.
Further accusations against Cowie listed in trial records T/LA/789 involve allegations of property damage, specifically targeting local fishing boats. Such claims against her must be viewed within the context of the era, wherein unexplained calamities were often swiftly attributed to supernatural malevolence. As a resident of a fishing community, any misfortune befalling these vital structures would have been economically catastrophic, thus making community scapegoats of those, like Cowie, deemed aberrant. As the court convened to deliberate Cowie’s fate, the scant remnants of these documents leave us pondering the outcome and the impact of such proceedings on the life of an individual enmeshed in Scotland's fraught history of witchcraft trials.