In the small village of Crook of Devon, located within the parishes of Fossoway and Tullibole in Perthshire, the year 1662 brought unsettling whispers of witchcraft to the otherwise quiet community. Gilleis Hutton, a resident of this rural area, found herself at the heart of these allegations. Historical records indicate that she became entwined within the broader network of witch trials that swept through Scotland between 1563 and 1736, a time marked by heightened tensions and suspicion across the nation.
Gilleis' case is documented under the reference C/EGD/1709, though specifics about the accusations she faced or the process she endured are notably sparse in the surviving records. What is clear, however, is that her name appears in the annals of history during a wave of witch trials that seem to have both reflected and fueled the anxieties of the time. The mention of her case highlights the reach of these trials, touching communities as modest as Crook of Devon and individuals such as Gilleis, whose ordinary lives were dramatically uprooted by these extraordinary events.
While the records do not provide specific outcomes or detailed accounts of her trial, Gilleis Hutton’s inclusion in the historical discourse of witch trials underscores the widespread nature of these persecutions across Scotland. Each name, including hers, is a reminder of the lives affected during a period of social and religious transformation, where fear often eclipsed reason. Her story, captured in the brief notation of historical records, remains a testament to the broader narrative of Scottish history during this tumultuous era.