Mary Cunningham, a widow residing in the small Scottish community of Cheapelland in Culross, found herself entangled in the turbulent weave of the witch trials that rippled through Scotland between 1563 and 1736. At the age of 50, Mary, alongside her daughter, came under the ominous shadow of a witchcraft accusation—a dire fate for many Scottish women in the 17th century. The initial trial took place in Culross where local suspicion and the palpable tension of the witch hunt era converged upon her. Despite the charged atmosphere of the time, the verdict returned was "Not Proven," an outcome that underscored the insufficiency yet uncertainty of the evidence against her.
However, Mary's ordeal did not conclude with this verdict. Doubts about the local procurator fiscal's legal competence spurred a call for Mary's retrial, prompting higher judicial scrutiny. The commissioners contended that the local officials lacked the necessary legal expertise, a reflection of the often chaotic and uneven legal proceedings of witch trials. Consequently, the case was escalated, and Mary's path led her to Edinburgh, where the Lord Advocate was to reassess the situation. This transition was fraught with difficulties, as Mary's defence advocate, alongside others who spoke in her favor, faced harassment from the bailies—suggestive of underlying tensions and perhaps disputes over property, as Mary claimed the bailies had seized her family's lands and yards.
By the decision of the Privy Council, both Mary and her daughter were eventually granted release from their grim confinement, and the conduct of the bailies was subject to investigation. Records indicate the use of irons, hinting at torture methods applied during the interrogations—a harsh reality that many accused witches faced. Despite these tribulations, the details of Mary Cunningham's trials and the eventual intervention by Scottish courts and commissions illuminate the complexities and harsh conditions of the witchcraft accusations during this turbulent period in early modern Scotland.