On this day in 1659, a dreadful event took place on "Dumfries Whitesands
On this day in 1659, a dreadful event took place on "Dumfries Whitesands. Nine women, having been found guilty of witchcraft, were taken to what was known as the "ordinary place" of execution. There, they met a truly horrific end. After being wirried (strangled) in front of a gathered crowd, their lifeless bodies were set ablaze and burnt at the stake. So what led to this? Through our research, we discovered that Janet McNaught, one of the accused, was seen at a witches' meeting - the witness apparently committed suicide. Back then, even everyday behaviours, such as sitting in a group by the fire, could be viewed as conspiratorial. Another, Jean Thomson, was said to have a familiar in the form of a hare, who followed people after arguments... For us, it is hard to believe such accusations led to the inhumanity meted out in Dumfries that day. Although we cannot change history, and recognise they were very different times with different belief systems to consider, we o...