In the autumn of 1678, Bessie Gourlie, a midwife from Fala, found herself ensnared within the turbulent climate of fear surrounding witchcraft in early modern Scotland. Despite her valued role within her community, Bessie fell under suspicion and was charged with attending witches' meetings, an accusation that echoed with foreboding across the land. Her case, documented as C/EGD/696, unfolded amidst the witch trials that gripped Edinburgh and its surrounding areas during this period. The specific details of these alleged meetings remain sparse in the records, reflecting the often circumstantial nature of the charges in such cases.
Bessie's trial commenced on November 4, 1678, in Edinburgh, where the court proceedings were marked by the somber ritual of justice as conceived at the time. She confessed twice—first in September and then on the very day of her trial, November 4. The repetition of her confession on the trial day likely colored the perceptions of her judges and those in attendance, cementing her fate. The trial notes, concise yet chilling, indicate her guilt was determined after an adjournment, with the verdict being read on November 6, leading swiftly to her execution.
Bessie's fate was interconnected with the trials of other women, as evidenced by mentions in the cases of Marion Veitch, Isobell Eliot, and Sarah Cranston. Though their testimonies against her remain unspecified in the records, the network of accusations woven among women implicated in such trials was a common pattern, reflecting both the communal and perilous nature of witchcraft allegations. Bessie was executed by strangulation and burning at the gallows positioned between Edinburgh and Leith, a grim endpoint to a life dedicated to the care and birth of others, starkly highlighting the era's dreadful reality for those accused of witchcraft.