Paisley’s Enchanted Threads is a Heritage Lottery funded project. For the past year we have been focusing on the oral heritage of Paisley, in particular the story of an event that took place three hundred years ago in our community. The members of our Society are especially interested in how the oral tradition has influenced the cultural heritage of the local area. One of the most fascinating and important stories in our community is the Renfrewshire Witch Hunt of 1697. The stories of the witch hunt, trial, and executions that took place in Paisley and wider Renfrewshire in 1697 have been passed down through the generations. They have become a part of local folklore. Up to now, these community stories were rarely recorded, but this has changed. By speaking to people of all ages in our community, we have been exploring the oral tradition of tales about witches, and how these stories have changed over the years. We are reaching the end of our project, and feel that we have achieved something special.

1697

Paisley and wider Renfrewshire is a special place to be exploring stories such as this. In 1697, seven people were tried and executed in Paisley after being found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. This was the last major witch hunt and mass execution of witches in Western Europe. This means that it was a hugely significant historical event, and it happened on our doorstep. In terms of heritage, it is on a par with the manufacturing history of the area, and, as many local people already know, the stories and the legends of the 1697 witch hunt are closely connected with the great textile traditions of our area. With the help the Heritage Lottery Fund, we have given people today an opportunity to share their opinions of and stories about the 1697 Renfrewshire Witch Hunt.

Community Voices

A central aim of our project has involved collecting voices from the community. This would not have been possible without our team of dedicated local volunteers, and we are grateful to them for their wonderful contribution. They offered us their time, their experience, their skills, and their humour. Our volunteers were all given professional oral history training by the Scottish Oral History Centre, University of Strathclyde. Expert oral historian Dr Sue Morrison gave them the skills to go into the community and build up our archive of oral history testimony. The volunteers have created a very special archive. People from all backgrounds have given us their time, and shared their memories, and we believe that the archive is a wonderful addition to our local heritage We are grateful to everyone who has got involved. Importantly, we want as many local people as possible to access the archive, and we will be soon be announcing how this can be done.  

Outcomes

As well as creating an archive, we have held a number of very successful community events. These have included bringing local people together to reminisce about their stories and memories connected to 1697, holding discussion seminars on the story itself, and reaching out to the community via local schools and care homes. We have some brilliant photograps of some of these in our Events section. We have also been able to provide local children with valuable oral history skills thanks to the contribution of Dr Sue Morrison. We are grateful to the staff and pupils of Dumbarton Academy, Johnstone High School, and Park Mains High School for getting involved with our project. Tim Mitchell of Rubikon pictures is currently putting the finishing touches to a film that he has created with local schools, and we look forward to sharing it very soon.

We have also produced a community book that blends the original story of 1697 with the oral testimony that we have gathered. This will be published very soon, and we will be distributing it to the community. This book will be a highly innovative and original source for local people to enjoy, and will compliment the archive that we have created. We also plan to exhibit our project in various community hubs in the local area in the near future. Do please stay tuned for these, as they promise to be very special.

This website represents another step forward in terms of our community's relationship with the Renfrewshire witch hunt. It not only contains a comprehensive account of the old story of 1697, but very importantly promotes the voice of the community via the Oral Testimony section. This is our core ambition, as we believe strongly that people should be given an opportunity to have their say on this important part of their heritage. Please spend some time listening to the oral testimony on the website, it will give you a good indication of what the archive has to offer.

The website is also home to the original artwork that we commissioned. The art is inspired by the story, each piece reflecting a specific theme that is central to the witch hunt of 1697 Again, this is a unique step forward in the telling of the story of the Renfrewshire witch hunt of 1697, as very few images have been created in relation to the story. You can view the work of our local artists on the 'Artist Impressions' page on this website.

 Finally, we would like to express our thanks to the people of Renfrewshire, who have given our project a huge welcome, and have supported us throughout!