The case of Agnes Pittendreich, residing in the small village of Crook of Devon within the parish of Fossoway & Tullibole in Perth, unfolds against the backdrop of a tumultuous period in Scottish history, characterized by widespread witch hunts and societal upheaval. On the 23rd of April, 1662, Agnes was summoned before local authorities, a date marked on the historical record with the notation of her case identifying her as a figure of inquiry: "Pittendreich, Agnes" (C/EGD/1488).
Amidst the shadow of suspicion cast by the Witchcraft Act of 1563, Agnes's life in the quiet rural setting of Perth was upended. Her surroundings, likely steeped in a mix of tradition and fear of the supernatural, would have set the stage for her ordeal. While specific accusations against her are not detailed in the surviving records, the mere presence of her name among those accused suggests that she was swept into a wider tide of fear and paranoia that epitomized the witch trials of the time. Without direct reference to sources beyond the case name and date in Larner's research notes, many aspects of Agnes's experience remain obscured, a common plight for those who lived through the trials.