In the summer of 1563, in the storied town of Dunfermline, Fife, a woman named Agnes Mullikine found herself enmeshed in the burgeoning web of witchcraft accusations that would come to define the period in Scottish history. Agnes was brought before a central trial in Edinburgh on the 26th of June, as chronicled in the historical record case referred to as C/EGD/27. The trial, noted in the records as T/LA/1819, underscored the palpable suspicion and fear of witchcraft that coursed through Scotland at that time. Agnes faced her accusers and the weighty decisions of the court within the confines of the nation's seat of power.
The outcome of the trial saw Agnes declared guilty of witchcraft, pursuant to the stringent standards and beliefs of the 16th century. The sentence delivered by the court was one of banishment, a punitive measure frequently employed during this period against those condemned for such alleged transgressions. This outcome was documented in part by the respected chronicler Pitcairn, who noted the central nature of her trial, indicating the broader interest and gravitas with which it was regarded.
Agnes Mullikine’s story, encapsulated within these scant records, offers a window into the rigorous and often perilous judicial processes faced by many in early modern Scotland accused of witchcraft. Her banishment stands as a solemn testament to the societal tensions and the unforgiving landscape of justice that prevailed during one of the most tumultuous eras in Scottish history.