In March 1598, Agnes MaCaw, a resident of Perth, found herself drawn into the legal machinery of the Scottish state, which during this period increasingly centralised the prosecution of witchcraft. Recorded under case number C/EGD/839, the documentation concerning Agnes marks a significant moment in the bureaucratic administration of early modern justice. Her case highlights the reach of the Scottish courts, as her legal proceedings necessitated a transfer from her home in Perth to the capital city of Edinburgh.
The trial, formally cataloged as T/LA/175, took place in Edinburgh following the initial proceedings initiated on March 3, 1598. While the surviving records provide few details regarding the specific allegations levelled against her, the movement of Agnes to the capital underscores the gravity with which the authorities viewed such accusations at the time. Her journey from a local residency to an Edinburgh courtroom reflects the broader patterns of judicial practice during the late sixteenth century, as the legal system sought to systematise the investigation and sentencing of those accused of supernatural transgressions.