Katherine Campbell was a resident of Bargarran in the parish of Erskine, Renfrew, a woman of middling status who had navigated the common transitions of early modern Scottish life, moving from her role as a servant within the household of Christian Shaw to her later marriage as a tailor’s wife. Her involvement in the legal proceedings began in early 1697, when she became one of the first individuals identified by Christian Shaw, the primary accuser in the notorious Renfrew witchcraft cases. Out of a wider group of more than twenty-eight people accused during this period, Katherine was one of the seven individuals brought to formal trial.
The judicial process against Katherine was deliberate and protracted. Presbytery records from March 1697 indicate that ministers and commissioners were tasked with overseeing the proceedings, which commenced in Renfrew on 13 April. Following a continuation of the case, the trial resumed on 12 May and concluded on 19 May. The court found her guilty of charges that included attendance at a witches’ meeting. On 10 June 1697, the sentence was carried out at Gallow Green, where Katherine was executed by the method of strangulation and burning.