The historical record for Agnes Gourlay, a resident of Humbie in the county of Haddington, places her within the intense judicial climate of the Scottish witch trials of 1649. During this period, Scotland experienced a significant surge in commissions for the trial of those suspected of maleficium, as local kirk sessions and the central authorities sought to address perceived spiritual and social transgressions within their communities. Agnes was caught in this administrative machinery, identified in the extant legal documents under the reference number C/EGD/1810.
While the primary documentation regarding the specific testimonies or the final verdict for Agnes remains limited to this catalogued entry, her inclusion in the records highlights the reach of the 1649 prosecutions. As with many individuals brought before the courts during this era, her case represents a fragment of the broader effort to enforce religious and social discipline in Humbie. The recording of her name serves as a formal testament to her involvement in a legal process that remains a defining, if somber, feature of seventeenth-century Scottish social history.