In March 1700, Bessie Cochran of Rockbusle, Kilmacolm, found herself enmeshed in a labyrinth of suspicion and accusation common to the late witch trials in Scotland. A widow, she was thrust into the limelight by the declarations of Margaret Laird, a young girl residing in Paisley, who was reportedly tormented by witches. Laird, amidst her fits, singled out Bessie and many others in a sweeping series of denunciations that sent ripples of fear through the community. The hysteria of the time often saw such allegations leave irreversible marks on those they touched, and this moment was no exception. Bessie was accused of having coerced her son into consorting with the Devil, an evocative charge that held grave implications in a society still steeped in superstitious interpretations of misfortune and malady.
The proceedings against Bessie pivoted on the testimonies collected from witnesses who had been present during Margaret Laird's fits, with these statements forming the backbone of the case. Notably, these testimonies were recorded in April 1699 in Paisley—evidence ostensibly significant enough to demand the drafting of a formal indictment, or dittay, against her. A trial was arranged to take place in Glasgow, initially scheduled for May 1699, although it seemingly never came to pass. Ultimately, Bessie’s case arrived before the high court in Edinburgh in March 1700, where, notably, the legal diet was deserted, leading to her release. While the records do not delve into her personal reflections or the broader implications for her life following the trial, Bessie's story unfolds within a tragically familiar narrative of accusation and courtroom drama against a backdrop of wider societal fears and the intricate dynamics of witchcraft trials in early modern Scotland.