In the mid-summer of 1661, amidst the tumult and suspicion that marked the period, Agnes Pogavie of Gilmerton, a village near Liberton in Edinburgh, found herself ensnared in the web of witchcraft accusations that swept across Scotland in the seventeenth century. At the age of 36, Agnes's life took a dramatic turn when she was accused of having embraced allegiance to the Devil, a purported pact that allegedly began 11 years prior. This accusation insinuated a long-standing relationship with malevolent forces, setting the stage for the events that would follow.
The records of Agnes Pogavie's trial, held in Edinburgh, reveal a grim narrative that unfolded swiftly. On the 7th of August 1661, Agnes stood trial where she faced the sobering verdict of guilt. According to the procedures of the time, the outcome predetermined her fate. Her confessions, documented on the 29th of July and again during her trial, played a pivotal role in sealing her doom. The court's decision was resolute, leading to a sentencing that would be carried out without delay.
Two days after her trial, on the 9th of August 1661, Agnes Pogavie met her tragic end. At the Common Green, a place familiar with the macabre, she was executed by the customary method of strangulation followed by burning. This harrowing sentence was a common fate for those found guilty of witchcraft, reflecting the deep-seated fears and religious fervor of the era. Agnes Pogavie's story, and those like hers, remains a poignant reminder of the turbulent and often perilous times in early modern Scotland's history of witch trials.