In the waning years of the 17th century, amidst the rolling landscapes of Kilmacolm, Renfrew, Bessie Cochran found herself engulfed in the fevered atmosphere of Scottish witch trials. Recently widowed and living in the small hamlet of Rockbusle, Bessie's life took a dramatic turn when she was accused of witchcraft, a fate that befell many in her era. This accusation became all the more entangled when her own son was implicated alongside her, with allegations that she had coerced him into joining forces with the Devil.
The case against Bessie emerged from the turbulent denunciations of Margaret Laird, a young girl residing in nearby Paisley, who was reportedly tormented by fits in which she named various individuals as practitioners of witchcraft. These fits and their resulting accusations prompted witness testimonies between April 19 and 21, 1699, forming the backbone of the case against Bessie. The testimonies, charged with the hysteria typical of the time, culminated in a dittay (a formal legal charge) against her.
Though a trial was initially scheduled for May 19, 1699, in Glasgow, records indicate it never proceeded as planned. Instead, Bessie’s case was revisited on March 12, 1700, in Edinburgh, where, despite the cloud of suspicion and the testimonies against her, the high court opted to release her without sentence. This decision suggests a lack of sufficient evidence or a shift in judicial disposition, marking the end of a harrowing chapter for Bessie, even as she and her family continued to bear the brunt of social stigmatization associated with such claims.