Unravel the curious case of Agnes Finnie, a mid-17th century shopkeeper in Edinburgh’s Potterrow accused of witchcraft. Shopkeeper, moneylender, healer – was she helping her neighbours or terrorising the neighbourhood? What finally drove the neighbourhood to denounce Agnes as a witch? Dragged from the Potterrow to court, her trial exposed the fear and squalor of life in the tenements, the indifference of Edinburgh’s gentry and the hypocrisy of the Kirk. Historian Mary Craig tells the true story of Agnes Finnie, warts and all.
Agnes Finnie’s story is much more nuanced and more interesting than that of the stereotypical poor defenceless woman persecuted by the Kirk. Through Agnes’ story, the everyday lives of ordinary people struggling to survive are revealed. Scotland became increasingly seen as a land under threat from the Devil and his handmaidens: witches. The women and men who were accused of witchcraft were real people with real lives. This is just one of their stories.
During the 17th century when witch hunts were a daily occurrence, if a woman was arrested and accused of being a witch she would be tried and usually found guilty in a matter of days, even hours. This was not the case for Agnes, a working woman living in the tenements of Edinburgh. Her whole trial was unusual. It took months of deliberation from the jury.
Mary W. Craig explores Agnes’ curious case and provides a fascinating insight into the political and religious tensions that led to Agnes’ burning.