In the annals of early modern Scottish witch trials, the case of John Paterson of Gills, Renfrew, stands out due to the unusual aspects of his accusation and subsequent trial. The sequence of events began with the denunciation by a young girl, Margaret Laird, from Paisley, who was reportedly tormented by witches. Laird, in the throes of her distress, accused numerous individuals, John Paterson among them, during dramatic fits that elicited fear and suspicion from the communities involved.
In April of 1699, a flurry of activity transpired in Paisley as witnesses gathered to testify after observing Laird's fits and hearing her accusations. The testimonies formed the central components of the dittay—a formal statement of charges—against Paterson and others. Originally, the trial was scheduled to unfold in Glasgow on the 19th of May, 1699, but for reasons not documented, the proceedings never took place on that date. Instead, John Paterson's fate was left hanging in a state of uncertainty for several months.
Eventually, the legal machinery of the Scottish judicial system moved his case to Edinburgh, where on the 12th of March, 1700, a trial was finally convened. Despite the serious nature of the accusations, the court released Paterson. The decision came after a complicated legal journey marked by postponed trials and deserted diets—one where the legal process was abandoned without a verdict. The release of John Paterson without further pursuit of his case marked a rare conclusion within a historical period where accusations of witchcraft often ended in tragic outcomes.