Annabel Reid, a resident of Inchinnan in Renfrew, found herself entangled in the infamous Renfrewshire witch trials of the late 1690s—a period of intense witch hysteria in Scotland. Married and breastfeeding at the time of her initial indictment in 1697, Annabel was accused alongside several others as part of the broader Renfrewshire cases. These accusations largely stemmed from the denunciations made by a young girl named Margaret Laird in Paisley, who claimed to be tormented by witches and began naming various individuals while she was reportedly in fits. Laird's allegations were taken seriously enough to prompt trials and processes against those she named.
Annabel's first interaction with the judicial system in April 1697 ended with her release due to her status as a nursing mother, a temporary reprieve from the grim prospects others faced under similar accusations. However, her ordeal was far from over. The case lingered, with court proceedings extending into 1700. Witness testimonies, collected in April 1699, were presented at a trial that was initially scheduled for May of that year in Glasgow but did not come to fruition. It wasn't until March 1700 that the high court in Edinburgh officially deserted the diet against her, essentially releasing her from the judicial scrutiny and allegations brought against her.
Despite the surrounding tumult, Annabel Reid's case highlights not only the personal distress caused by the witch trials but also the influence local hysteria and vague testimonies could exert on legal proceedings of the time. Her release serves as a notable instance where familial circumstances intersected with legal determinations, providing her an uncommon escape from the often relentless prosecutions of that era.