In the spring of 1699, fifteen-year-old Alexander Lyle became the focus of intense scrutiny in Paisley. The investigation into his conduct was driven by witness testimony gathered over several days in April, during which local community members provided accounts of the youth’s involvement in events surrounding the fits and denunciations of a figure identified as Laird. Alexander, who was single and remained under the shadow of his mother’s reputation as a reputed witch, found himself entangled in the legal machinery that defined the Scottish witch trials at the turn of the eighteenth century.
The legal process culminated on March 12, 1700, when the case against Alexander was brought before the authorities in Edinburgh. Despite the gravity of the accusations and the communal tensions that had necessitated the collection of depositions in Renfrewshire, the judicial proceedings reached an abrupt conclusion. The court ordered that the diet be deserted, resulting in the young man's release. Through this administrative resolution, the case against Alexander was formally closed, allowing him to be discharged from the custody of the court.