In the quiet corners of Fetternear, Aberdeen, the life of Bessie Roy unfolded amid the subtleties and struggles of 16th-century Scottish life. As a nurse to the Laird of Boquhane, Bessie occupied a role of trusted care and service, deeply embedded in the daily rhythms of her community. Her work extended beyond traditional nursing, perhaps fulfilling duties as a wet nurse or tending to other needs within the household. Bessie lived with a man for 12 years in a relationship that suggests a common law marriage, which was not uncommon in contexts where formal marriage might have been out of reach. She also picked lint alongside other women, an activity that placed her within the shared labors of her community’s womenfolk. Yet, it was her connections to influential men, Leslie and Achinleck, who reportedly consulted her for witchcraft, that would cast a shadow over her life.
On the 18th of August 1590, Bessie found herself at the heart of a trial in Edinburgh. Accusations of witchcraft were not uncommon during this turbulent period, and Bessie’s association with alleged witchcraft practices would have gripped the imagination and fears of those around her. She was mentioned as an accomplice by various individuals—Jonet Grant, Janet Clark, Barbara Keand, Bessie Paull, and Marion Bruce—though the specific nature of her alleged involvement with these individuals remains unspecified in the records. Despite this web of accusations, the verdict reached was one of "Not Guilty," sparing her from the harsh punishments that befell many others accused of witchcraft during this era. Bessie Roy's acquittal is a testament to the often unpredictable outcomes of such trials, where societal fears clashed with legal proceedings in complex ways. Her story illuminates the fragility of reputation and the perilous position of women in early modern Scotland, entangled in accusations that could so easily spiral into mortal danger.