Agnes Sampsoune, a widow residing in Nether Keith, Edinburgh, found herself at the center of one of the most infamous witch trials in early modern Scotland. Recorded historical documents reveal that Agnes was charged with maleficium, or harmful magic, and accused of participating in witches' meetings. Her case, tried on January 21, 1591, swiftly concluded with a guilty verdict. Just a week later, on January 28, she was executed on Castle Hill, Edinburgh, by strangulation and burning, a common method of execution for those convicted of witchcraft during this period.
Agnes' trial documents note a confession allegedly encompassing 58 of 102 charges against her. A copy of this confession was notably forwarded by Bowes to Burghley, indicating the attention her case drew beyond local judicial confines. Intriguingly, her name appears in the testimonies of multiple other accused individuals, such as Marioun Linkup and Gelie Duncan, implicating her as an accomplice. This widespread mention suggests the interconnected nature of the accused community, perhaps reinforcing contemporary fears of a broad and clandestine network of witches. Despite the gravity of her charges, it is recorded that Agnes died penitent, praying for divine salvation—a poignant reflection of the human distress underlying the witchcraft hysteria of the time.