In the spring of 1699, the life of Bessie Miller, a woman of middling status residing in Boighall, Killellan, was abruptly upended by the erratic accusations of a young girl named Margaret Laird. While in the midst of public fits in Paisley, Laird denounced a wide array of individuals, among whom Bessie—known locally as the "Mayaires of Boighall"—was specifically named as one of those responsible for her torment. Between the 19th and 21st of April 1699, a series of witnesses came forward in Paisley to testify not only to their observations of Laird’s distressing physical condition but also to the accusations she leveled against those she claimed were the cause of her suffering.
The legal proceedings that followed were marked by significant uncertainty and delay. A dittay was prepared against Bessie in April 1699, and a trial was initially scheduled to convene in Glasgow on 19 May 1699; however, this session appears never to have taken place. The case eventually migrated to the High Court in Edinburgh, where the legal process remained unresolved for nearly a year. Finally, on 12 March 1700, the diet against her was deserted, and Bessie was released from the charges brought against her.