Mary Morisone, a woman of middling status and a resident of Greenock in Renfrew, found herself entangled in the witch trials that swept Scotland in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Her initial arrest in 1698 brought her to the attention of the Privy Council in Edinburgh, where she was required to present herself by November of that year. However, the period proved tumultuous, as Mary was charged anew in 1699 following denunciations from young women in nearby towns.
The accusations against Mary Morisone stemmed primarily from two young women, Margaret Laird of Paisley and Margaret Murdoch of Govan, who both reported being tormented by witches. As was not uncommon in this era, these allegations were made during fits and spells that were believed to be induced by witchcraft. Laird’s testimonies, delivered in Paisley over several days in April 1699, and Murdoch’s in Glasgow thereafter, contributed to a complex tapestry of fear and superstition in which Mary found herself embroiled. Despite the gravity of the situation, Mary's circumstances shifted with her pregnancy, leading to her temporary release from confinement.
In 1700, faced with the culmination of these trials, the diet against her was deserted—effectively releasing her from prosecution. Mary’s saga in the witch trials bore similarities to that of Annabel Reid, another woman whose legal proceedings were marked by false starts and eventual abandonment. The bond of caution provided by her husband suggests a familial effort to preserve stability amid upheaval. While the accusations once darkened her life, the eventual dismissal of charges allowed Mary Morisone to return to her community, free from the weight of the accusations that had once overshadowed her.