William McAngus, a resident of the small parish of Clyne in Sutherland, emerges amid the tumultuous years of the Scottish witch trials as a figure caught in the grim machinery of 17th-century justice. The records concerning his case are sparse yet telling, encapsulating the tensions and fervor of the time. In 1655, McAngus was listed as a fugitive from the circuit court, a designation documented in a fugitive list cataloged under JC17/1, a source acknowledged by the historian Christina Larner, though not traditionally included within the typical survey of Scottish witchcraft cases.
William's designation as a fugitive suggests an elusion of the legal proceedings that engulfed many accused of witchcraft during this era. The reasons behind his flight or the specific charges he faced remain unknown, as do the precise events leading to his name's inclusion on the list. The lack of a recorded outcome in the trial notes disconnects his narrative from a definitive historical judgment, leaving it open-ended and evocative of the fear and uncertainty individuals faced when accused of such grave crimes. McAngus’s tale is emblematic of those who, whether through necessity or choice, sought to navigate and survive the perilous waters of suspicion and superstition that defined this challenging period in Scottish history.