In December 1679, Annaple Thomson, a widowed resident of Bo'ness in Linlithgow, found herself entangled in the societal upheavals of 17th-century Scotland when she was accused of witchcraft. Bo'ness, a coastal town that was part of the larger Linlithgowshire, was like many parts of Scotland at this time, steeped in religious and superstitious fervor that often left marginalized individuals, especially women, vulnerable to suspicion and accusation.
Annaple's case, designated under the case file C/EGD/1916, reached the formal stage of trial, but the available trial notes, cataloged under T/JO/603, offer little insight into the specific nature of the accusations brought against her. Similarly, another reference to her legal proceedings appears under T/LA/1468, although it, too, lacks detailed accounts of the evidence or testimonies that might have been presented. The scant records surrounding Annaple's trial are indicative of the many such cases during this period, where detailed documentation was often lost or never recorded, leaving us to wonder about the social and personal dynamics that led to her accusation.
As a widow, Annaple would have occupied a vulnerable position within her community, lacking the protection and social standing that a husband might have provided in those times. Her story, though fragmentary, is a poignant reminder of the precarious nature of life for many women in early modern Scotland, as communities grappled with fear and superstition, often at the expense of justice and fairness.