The Story
The Renfrewshire witch hunt of 1697 is a significant part of our local, and indeed national history. It concluded in Paisley but the drama also unfolded in places like Kilbarchan, Dumbarton, and Erskine. It was the last great witch hunt and mass execution of witches not only in Scotland, but the western world. Pockets of witch hunting would continue for a couple of decades throughout Scotland. The old beliefs would linger even longer, especially among the wider population. However, in many ways the event, and especially the conclusion, of the Renfrewshire witch hunt symbolises the drawing to a close of an older way of looking at and understanding the world. Things were never really the same after June 1697.
It is a complex story, filled with supernatural intrigue, community accusation, and local tragedy. It is a story that is best told through the people who were involved, the places that they were familiar with, and the events that unfolded. Telling the story in this way offers an opportunity to knit together the disparate strands, and will hopefully give you a platform from which you can form your own opinions.
