In the autumn of 1630, the legal records of Aberdeen document the case of an individual known only as Cowie, a resident of the Fishertown of Bownes. Belonging to the lower socioeconomic strata of the community, Cowie earned a living as a brewster, a role that placed her at the intersection of domestic labor and the informal economy of the town. On September 8, 1630, she was formally brought before the authorities under the charges of attending a witches’ meeting, an accusation that carried grave implications within the religious and judicial climate of seventeenth-century Scotland.
The legal proceedings, cataloged under case reference C/EGD/1245 and trial T/LA/789, specifically tied Cowie to allegations of property damage involving boats. In the context of a maritime settlement like the Fishertown of Bownes, where the livelihoods of the inhabitants were inextricably linked to the sea, the destruction or compromise of fishing vessels was viewed with extreme severity. While the surviving records remain sparse regarding the final verdict or the specific testimonies offered, they stand as a historical testament to the precarious social position Cowie occupied and the nature of the suspicions directed toward her during this era of intensive witch-hunting.