In the winter of 1591, amidst the chilly streets of Edinburgh, a widow by the name of Agnes Sampsoune found herself at the centre of one of Scotland's many witchcraft trials. Residing in Nether Keith, Agnes was brought before the courts accused of practicing maleficium, or harmful magic, and attending witches' meetings. Her trial stands out not only for the breadth of accusations but also for the notable confession in which she reportedly admitted to 58 out of 102 charges laid against her. The trial proceedings reveal the grave seriousness with which witchcraft was perceived during this period, with Agnes's case documents crossing borders as they were sent from Bowes to Burghley, indicating the wider political and religious implications of such trials.
Agnes's trial, which culminated on January 21, 1591, ended with a guilty verdict handed down by an assize. Much of the specifics surrounding her case are captured in confession records dated to just one day prior to her execution. The execution method, specified as strangulation followed by burning, was carried out promptly on January 28, 1591, at Castle Hill. Historical records also hint at her execution being carried out with penance; Agnes is noted to have faced her end praying to God for her salvation. Agnes Sampsoune's trial was not isolated; she was implicated alongside numerous others in what suggests a vast network of supposed accomplices, including family members and neighbors, further illustrating the widespread fear of witchcraft that gripped 16th-century Scotland. Her case is emblematic of the paranoia of the time, reflecting the tragic entanglements of personal misfortune, community suspicion, and the harsh intricacies of the early modern Scottish legal system.