In the closing years of the 17th century, amid a climate of fear and suspicion, Agnes Supp found herself ensnared in the web of the Scottish witch trials. Residing in the parish of Kilmacolm, an area encompassing Port Glasgow and Newark, Agnes was a married woman of lower socioeconomic standing, working as a servant to a maltman. Her life took a dramatic turn, however, following accusations from Margaret Laird of Paisley and Margaret Murdoch of Govan, two girls who claimed to be plagued by the nefarious acts of witches.
Laird and Murdoch, while purportedly in fits, accused Agnes of witchcraft, along with several others. The accounts of these fits, witnessed by numerous townsfolk, were collected and presented as testimony during sessions held in Paisley and Glasgow in April 1699. These dramatic denunciations bore heavy implications for Agnes, who had been dismissed from her service position due to the suspicions surrounding her involvement in the young girls’ torments.
Agnes Supp's trial was eventually convened in Edinburgh on March 12, 1700. Despite the fervent testimonies and the weight of public opinion pressuring for convictions of alleged witchcraft, the trial concluded with her release. The prior attempt to hold a trial in Glasgow in May of the previous year had seemingly dissipated without resolution, and now, at the high court, the diet was deserted, leaving Agnes to return to her life, albeit under the shadow of her ordeal. Her case exemplifies the turbulent times and the precariousness faced by individuals accused of witchcraft during this fraught period in Scottish history.