In the late 17th century, the town of Renfrew bore witness to the tumultuous period of Scottish witch trials, where one Margret Jackson, a widow from Pollokshaws in Paisley, found herself embroiled in accusations of witchcraft. The records suggest Margret was connected by marriage to a prominent family, the Stewarts—though whether her late husband was the son of Jonet Mathie or the brother of Margret's deceased partner remains unclear. This familial connection did not shield her from being accused in February 1677 of engaging in maleficium, or harmful magic, and participating in witches' meetings, charges that were deadly in a time ripe with fear and suspicion.
The trial commenced on the 14th of February, 1677, under a gaze that blended local jurisdiction with the presence of central governmental officials dispatched from Edinburgh. Margret had been offered a hearing by a Privy Council commission, yet her fate was ultimately decided by a trial that featured conspicuously in the minute books of the circuit court—an indication of the gravity attributed to the proceedings. A formal confession was recorded on the 7th of January, likely extracted under duress, a common practice of the era. Her guilt pronounced, the court decreed that Margret should meet her end at Gallow Green through strangling and burning—a grim sentence implemented just days after her verdict, on February 20th, 1677.
The execution marked the conclusion of Margret Jackson’s tumultuous journey through the perilous landscape of 17th-century Scotland, reflecting the period's deep-seated fears and the stringent law enforcement characteristic of the witch hunts. Through the scant yet telling records, her story provides a sobering glimpse into an era where societal anxieties often culminated in tragic outcomes for those who, like Margret, found themselves at the intersection of misfortune and the zealous imposition of the law.