Eleven year old Christian Shaw is central to the story of the Renfrewshire witch hunt. However, her alleged bewitching only formed a part of the overall case that was eventually built against the seven accused. Despite this, it is fair to say that without her descent into illness from the middle of August 1696, and her subsequent accusations against many people, the witch hunt may never have taken place. The accused clearly had a reputation among local people for the practice of witchcraft, but the prosecution of the case against them depended on the foundations provided by this young girl's experiences. 

Not much is known about her childhood. Being the daughter of a local landowner she would have led a relatively comfortable life, although her parents were by no means the wealthiest of the local gentry. She was said to have been well versed in the Catechism, which was a rote, or repeated, method of learning the fundamental basics of religion. It was not unusual for children to be encouraged to learn about their religion in this way, and they would be questioned regularly on it. According to various sources from the time, Christian Shaw demonstrated an exceptionally high level of biblical literacy during her struggle with her invisible tormentors. It is important to remember, however, who wrote these sources, and the reasons that lay behind their desire to promote the girl's apparent religious gifts.

During the investigation her accusations were taken very seriously. Members of the Commission met regularly at her house to question and examine her. Her statement was used as evidence against the accused at the trial, where she too was examined. However, given her young age, she did not provide evidence under oath.