In the small town of Pollokshaws, near Paisley in Renfrewshire, the mid-17th century was a time of great fear and suspicion, particularly concerning the dark specter of witchcraft. Annabell Stewart found herself at the center of this turmoil when, at just 14 years old, she was accused of engaging in maleficium, or harmful magic, and attending witches' gatherings. The social fabric of Renfrew faced disruption, and Annabell, the daughter of Jonet Mathie, was thrust into a world of adult accusations and fears, despite her tender age and middling socioeconomic background.
Her trial unfolded in Renfrew on February 14, 1677, a time thick with paranoia about witchcraft. During the proceedings, Annabell was found guilty, but her youth was a significant consideration in her trial. A note in the court records requested that any sentence passed on her be delayed due to her being underage. Her age influenced the judge to commute her sentence, which led to her not facing immediate execution—a rare divergence from the harsh outcomes often seen in such trials. Instead, authorities transferred Annabell to Glasgow, where she was placed under the guidance of ministers to receive spiritual counsel, demonstrating a measure of clemency unusual for the period.
Confessions extracted on January 7 and January 27 of the same year at the Tolbooth, a local jail, played a crucial role in the conviction. These records suggest intense interrogations under circumstances that often pressured the accused into admissions of guilt. The precise content of Annabell's confessions remains unspecified in these documents, but their existence hints at the severe legal and social pressures faced by those, even as young as Annabell, accused of witchcraft. Her case underscores the complexities and human costs of the witch trials in Scotland, where fear and superstition often prevailed over justice and compassion.