Anna Hill, a single woman of middling socioeconomic status from Govan, Lanark, came under the shadow of accusation during Scotland's infamous witch trials of the early modern period. Her father was known to work as a smith, and she was connected to another notable accusation within her family: her mother had also faced claims of witchcraft. The catalyst for Anna's own ordeal came from a local girl, Margaret Murdoch, who was reportedly plagued by fits, during which she accused various individuals of witchcraft, among them Anna. Notably, Margaret's father, John Murdoch of Craigtown, lent a degree of social prominence to the accusations that carried them beyond mere community whispers.
The case against Anna was formally recorded on March 12, 1700, catalyzed by testimonies collected almost a year earlier in Glasgow. These statements detailed the observations of Margaret's fits and her various denunciations. Initially, a trial was scheduled in Glasgow for May 19, 1699, but the records suggest that this trial did not occur. Instead, Anna's case ultimately reached Edinburgh, where on the designated trial date, the 12th of March 1700, the diet was deserted. This legal term implied that the court did not find sufficient grounds to continue with the prosecution. Consequently, Anna was released, a relatively fortunate outcome amidst the disastrous fates that befell many accused of witchcraft during this era.