The witch trials that swept across Scotland between 1563 and 1736 were marked by widespread fear and suspicion, reaching even the remote areas such as the Isle of Bute. Among those enmeshed in this turbulent period was John Gely, a resident of Barmore. Little is known about his life prior to the drawing of accusations against him; however, the historical record reveals a man who found himself at the center of a grim chapter of Scotland's past. Married at the time of his trial in 1662, the details suggest he either remarried or was specifically mentioned with two different wives during the trial, indicating the potential complexity of his domestic life.
John’s entanglement with witchcraft allegations is intricately linked to the confessions of two women, who cited him by name amidst their own testimonies. Historical records do not provide the specific nature of these accusations but do reveal the tenuous threads connecting community confessions and the subsequent mounting of charges against individuals like John. His trial proceedings form part of the larger tapestry of the era's legal responses to supposed witchcraft activities. On February 14, 1662, these woven narratives and community fears culminated in John's appearance before the judicial structures of the time, under case number C/EGD/1549 and subsequently T/JO/1889.
Though the outcome of his trial is not documented in the surviving records, John's case exemplifies the deeply rooted suspicion and turmoil that characterized the witch trials in Scotland. The accusations against him, mentioned by two distinct women, underscore how interconnected personal and communal lives were often caught in the fraught web of witchcraft allegations, demonstrating the pervasive reach and impact of these early modern trials.