In the late 16th century, amid the fervor of the Scottish witch trials, Agnes Nevie found herself entangled in one of the many cases that gripped the region. Residing in Tillykirie, a pastoral settlement in Aberdeen, Agnes was married and likely a part of the tightly-knit community that marked rural life at the time. However, in the year 1597, her life took a dramatic turn when accusations of witchcraft were leveled against her, thrusting her into the judicial proceedings typical of the era’s witch trials.
Agnes Nevie's trial, registered as case number C/JO/3156, took place in 1597, a year that saw a significant upsurge in witch prosecutions across Scotland. As per the trial records labeled T/JO/1672, the court rendered a verdict that was somewhat unusual: Agnes was found "Half Guilty." This verdict indicates that while the court found her guilty on most counts of the dittay—a list of alleged crimes—certain accusations were dismissed. This duality in the verdict suggests a complex series of events and charges that the court had to reconcile. Such partial acquittals were not the norm and highlight the nuanced and often unpredictable nature of witch trials during this turbulent period in Scottish history. Agnes Nevie's case, like many others of the time, underscores the perilous intersection of local suspicions and the harsh judicial practices employed to suppress the perceived threat of witchcraft.