Anna Grey, a forty-five-year-old resident of Bankheid in the parish of Dalry, Ayrshire, first appears in the judicial record on September 16, 1679. By the time she was brought to the attention of the authorities, she had already been living under the shadow of a local reputation as a witch for two decades. Although she identified her home as Bankheid, her movements between the parishes of Keith and Dalry, particularly her persistent presence within the latter, seem to have informed the scrutiny she faced.
Following her inclusion on a fugitive list of individuals required to answer for their conduct, Anna was compelled to appear before the circuit court to address these long-standing suspicions. At the conclusion of her trial on September 16, 1679, the court reached a resolution that allowed her to remain at liberty. Rather than facing incarceration or further penalty, Anna was released under caution—a legal surety ensuring her future compliance and attendance—effectively ending the immediate proceedings against her.