In the late summer and autumn of 1678, Agnes Somerville, a forty-five-year-old resident of Fala, Edinburgh, found herself at the centre of a judicial process that would ultimately conclude in her death. Her involvement in the legal system began in the months preceding her trial, as evidenced by two separate recorded confessions dated 24 July and 4 November 1678. Within these testimonies, Agnes admitted to having entered into the service of the Devil twenty years prior. Her narrative was further complicated by the testimony of others; she was explicitly named as an accomplice by Issobell Borthwick, Alison Rae, and Margaret Williamson, all of whom were entangled in the same series of legal actions.
The charges brought against Agnes were severe, encompassing both participation in prohibited witches’ meetings and allegations of causing property damage, specifically relating to the harm of livestock. Her trial commenced in Edinburgh on 4 November 1678, at which time her confession was formally noted. The proceedings were briefly adjourned until Wednesday, 6 November, when the court reconvened to deliver its final judgment. Having been found guilty, Agnes was sentenced to death. She was executed at the gallows situated between Edinburgh and Leith, where the sentence was carried out by strangulation followed by burning.