In the year 1661, amidst the charged atmosphere of fear and suspicion that gripped Scotland, the name Bessie Nicoson emerged in historical records connected to the witch trials occurring near Edinburgh. Residing in the village of Liberton, Bessie’s involvement was noted not through a preserved trial document of her own, but within the context of another person's trial. This suggests that her presence in the witchcraft accusations was perhaps peripheral, yet significant enough to merit mention within the network of accusations that proliferated at the time.
Bessie's case, as recorded in the historical sources, notably the 'Source-book' by Larner et al., is shrouded in mystery due to the absence of a substantive trial record. The records which mention her have not been located among the expected legal collections, exemplifying the challenges historians face in piecing together the lives and fates of those embroiled in the witch hunts. The link between Bessie and another case is indicative of the interconnected nature of the accusations—a testament to the volatile web of fear and denunciation that characterized Scotland's witch trials. Though her specific actions or accusations remain lost to time, the mere mention of her name within another trial’s context emphasizes the breadth of suspicion and the precarious position many individuals found themselves in during this dark chapter of Scottish history.