In the spring of 1659, Agnes Cairnes, more commonly referred to by her nickname "Bigis," was at the center of a series of events that would seal her fate in the annals of early modern Scottish witch trials. A servant residing in Kirkcudbright, Agnes found herself entangled in accusations that led to a trial held on April 2nd of that year in Dumfries. While serving in the household of Thomas Milligan, she was accused of participating in a witches' meeting—a grave charge during this period. The court records reveal that Agnes was initially reported to have confessed to being a witch from childhood, a confession that she later retracted but contributed to the subsequent guilty verdict.
The trial documents indicate a swift judicial process, typical of the time's fervent attitudes towards witchcraft. Despite pleading not guilty, the overwhelming atmosphere of fear and suspicion surrounding witchcraft trials played a pivotal role. Agnes's name surfaced in other trials, specifically mentioned by Jonet Miller and Helen Harris, who implicated her as an accomplice. The weight of these accusations, bolstered by her own conflicted confessions, resulted in her being found guilty.
Agnes Cairnes was sentenced to execution by strangulation and subsequent burning, a common method aimed at purging the perceived malevolence of witchcraft from society. This final act, carried out just days following her trial on April 5th, 1659, brings a somber close to her story—a narrative reflective of the period's harsh realities where suspicion and fear pervaded and justice was swift and unforgiving. The records offer a glimpse into the turbulent life of a woman caught in the throes of a legal system driven by fear and superstition, marking her as a poignant figure within the landscape of Scottish witch trials.