Agnes Gourlay, a woman residing in Humbie, Haddington, found herself embroiled in an accusation of witchcraft in the year 1649, a turbulent time in Scottish history when fear and suspicion saturated the landscape. The records, whilst sparse, capture a glimpse of the ordeal she faced amidst the wider context of a nation gripped by the witch hunts that marked the period between 1563 and 1736. Agnes became a central figure in a case catalogued simply as C/EGD/1810, a testament to the numerous trials that were conducted during this time.
Agnes’s accusation is documented in a historical record associated with secondary sources referenced by Christina Larner, a noted scholar of Scottish witch trials, although it appears that this particular reference was not verified during subsequent research endeavors. The absence of detailed proceedings or outcomes in the available records leaves her narrative open-ended, a reflection of the many other lives caught in similar snares whose stories remain incomplete. Nevertheless, Agnes's experience is emblematic of the pervasive climate of mistrust and fear surrounding alleged witchcraft in 17th century Scotland, a period marked by frequent accusations and the subsequent legal proceedings that sought to root out supposed malevolence in communities throughout the region.