In April 1568, Agnes Peramorris of Arbroath and St Vigeans in Forfar found herself ensnared in the legal machinery of the Scottish witch trials. The records of the time, though sparse and often failing to capture the full breadth of personal narratives, tell us that Agnes was among the many women in 16th-century Scotland accused of witchcraft. Arbroath, a coastal town known for its rich monastic history, and the neighbouring parish of St Vigeans, with its ancient church, provided a backdrop to Agnes’s life and subsequent trial.
Agnes's trial is captured in the historical document labeled T/LA/2239, marking her as a figure in the extensive proceedings of witch trials that swept through Scotland during this period. Though specific accusations or testimonies against her aren't detailed in the surviving records, the formal proceedings captured in her case file, C/LA/3371, suggest a rigorous process dictated by the legal standards of the time. Such trials often involved claims of maleficium, or harmful magic, and could call upon witness testimonies and confessions extracted through pressure or coercion. Agnes Peramorris's story, though largely obscured by the passage of time, remains a testament to the climate of fear and suspicion that permeated Scottish society during the witch trials from 1563 to 1736.