In the spring of 1699, in the burgh of Lanark, Mary McKinnie found herself unwittingly entangled in the web of witchcraft accusations that periodically troubled early modern Scotland. Mary, a woman of middling status who was married to a merchant, became a subject of suspicion when she was named by Margaret Murdoch, a girl reportedly suffering from the torments of witchcraft. Margaret was from Govan and had implicated numerous individuals, claiming that they were responsible for her afflictions. Her case attracted the attention of both medical professionals and ministers, highlighting the seriousness with which such accusations were often treated in the context of the societal and religious anxieties of the time.
Despite the gravity of the accusations, it seems that Mary McKinnie's ordeal ended ambiguously. The historical records indicate that while one man and three women provided testimony against her in Glasgow on April 22, 1699, there are no conclusive records of a formal trial or conviction. This lack of concrete proceedings may suggest that the evidence was not compelling enough to advance to trial, or it may reflect the complexities and inconsistencies within the judicial processes of the period. Mary's case illustrates the precarious nature of such accusations, where reputations could be sullied based on hearsay, yet legal outcomes often remained uncertain. It serves as a reminder of the turbulent social dynamics and the fragile nature of justice during the Scottish witch trials.