In the late 17th century, amidst the fervor of witch trials that swept across Scotland, Issobell Mathie found herself caught in the malignant tangle that ensnared so many women of her time. Accusations of witchcraft were not unfamiliar to Issobell's family, as both her mother and sister had also been suspected of engaging in the dark arts. The societal suspicion already shadowing her family name likely compounded her vulnerability to accusation. The records specifically highlight an incidence in April 1699, where she was denounced, though not formally tried, as a tormentor of a woman named Margaret Laird.
The events surrounding Issobell’s accusation unfolded in Paisley, where three individuals—one man and two women—provided testimony against her in the span of a few days, from the 19th to the 21st of April. Despite this testimony, the documentation suggests a lack of sufficient evidence or perhaps hesitation in the community to proceed with legal action which typically followed such accusations then. This possibly reflects either a dearth of compelling proof or a shifting legal or societal perspective regarding the veracity of the claims of witchcraft itself. Consequently, there is no record of Issobell standing trial, an outcome somewhat atypical for the era, which frequently saw accusations swiftly leading to formal trials and harsh punishments.
The historical record remains notably vague on Issobell’s fate post-accusation. This absence of information leaves a gap in the understanding of her life after the ordeal. Floating in a liminal space between accusation and trial, Issobell's case underscores the precariousness faced by many women in her position—marked by suspicion yet perhaps spared from the dire outcomes met by many of her contemporaries during this tumultuous period in Scottish history.