Bessie Ur lived in the early 17th century in West Linton, a small parish located in Peebles, Scotland. This was a period marked by immense fear and suspicion regarding witchcraft, which often manifested in allegations against community members thought to be practicing the dark arts. Bessie found herself ensnared in such events when, on the 6th of November, 1629, she was listed in case number C/EGD/639, alongside twenty-six others. This grouping of multiple individuals in a single accusation was not uncommon during the witch trials, as moral panic and social tensions frequently resulted in wide-reaching accusations.
While the records provide no specific details about her trial, catalogued as T/JO/567, the inclusion of Bessie’s name hints at the prevailing climate of tension and fear. The period’s judicial proceedings often lacked transparency, and detailed accounts of individual trials were not always maintained or have not survived. Consequently, Bessie's experience, as with many others, remained unchronicled in precise terms, leaving historians to piece together the broader picture of persecution based on patchy records. Yet, the mere fact of her inclusion among twenty-six accused underscores the widespread reach of the witch hunts and punctuates the precariousness of existence for many women in 17th-century Scotland.