Mary Morisone, a married woman from Greenock, Renfrew, found herself enmeshed in a climate of suspicion and fear, emblematic of the late 17th-century Scottish witch trials. Her ordeal began when she was summoned before the Privy Council in Edinburgh on September 6, 1698, following accusations of witchcraft. Mary was given a period until November 15, 1698, to present herself, during which time she must have navigated the treacherous waters of public suspicion and institutional scrutiny. The accusations were not isolated spontaneous events but were part of a broader wave of denunciations by two young women, Margaret Laird and Margaret Murdoch, from the towns of Paisley and Govan, respectively. Both girls accused Mary along with many others amidst visceral fits they claimed were induced by witches.
The initial indictment against Mary took place in 1697 and, owing to the circumstances of her pregnancy, she was released from prison—a respite all too temporary in nature. Again, her name resurfaced in the records, leading to another arrest in 1699. By this time, the legal process ensnared her in a cycle of hearings, with her husband stepping forward to provide a bond of caution on May 20, 1699, an act reflective of his support and perhaps a testament to the socioeconomic status that lent some leverage in these troubling times. Despite the gravity of the accusations leveled against her, the proceedings against Mary culminated with the desertion of her trial in March 1700, again resulting in her release.
The trajectory of Mary Morisone’s case shared a common path with others of her time, such as Annabel Reid, who faced similar accusations and subsequent legal entanglements. Significant portions of the testimonial evidence against Mary were gathered in Paisley and Glasgow, venues of critical witness accounts that purportedly observed the fits and denunciations by the two Margarets. This case vividly illustrates the socio-legal landscape of early modern Scotland, where accusations could spur community upheaval and legal battles hinged on the precarious testimonies elicited under dubious circumstances. Ultimately, Mary's release in 1700 marks the cessation of her prosecution, an outcome that, although fortuitous, reflects the inherent capriciousness of the judicial process during the witch trials.