In the latter half of the 17th century, Bessie Gourlie found herself ensnared in the throes of one of Scotland’s most turbulent periods, the witch hunts. A midwife by trade, residing in the small parish of Fala near Edinburgh, Bessie’s position might have granted her a respected, yet vulnerable role within her community. Her life took a dramatic turn when she was accused of attending a witches' meeting, a charge that carried grave consequences in an era marked by fear and superstition.
Bessie's trial unfolded in Edinburgh on November 4, 1678, with the court proceedings extending over several days. The records indicate two confessions, one prior to and another during the trial, a common occurrence but one that does not reveal the pressures she may have faced. Bessie was found guilty and sentenced to execution, a sentence carried out on the gallows positioned between Edinburgh and Leith. The method of her execution was both strangulation and burning, reflecting the harsh punishments reserved for those condemned as witches.
Throughout the ordeal, Bessie’s name appeared in the confessions and accusations of other women—Marion Veitch, Isobell Eliot, and Sarah Cranston—highlighting the interconnected nature of witch trials in which accusations could multiply and ensnare multiple individuals. Her story is a sobering example of the period’s punitive response to alleged witchcraft, shedding light on the precarious lives of women who lived on the margins of societal norms during Scotland's witch-hunting era.