She would become as stiff as a corpse and be senseless and motionless.
Gallow Green, the place where the witches were hanged.
Photo:Paisley Scotland/Flickr
Upon questioning, Christian began naming her tormenters.
Of these, seven people were summoned to appear before a commission in Paisley.
Despite their protests, all seven were found guilty of witchcraft and were condemned to die.
The remaining six were hanged and then burned on the Gallow Green in Paisley on 10 June 1697.
It was the last mass execution for witchcraft in western Europe.
The execution itself was harrowing.
Its owner refused to take it back after it had been in contact with witches.
By then, witch trials were already on the decline.
The last execution took place in 1706; the last trial in 1727 and was of questionable legality.
In 1736, the British parliament repealed the Witchcraft Act 1563 making the legal pursuit of witches impossible.
Nevertheless, basic magical beliefs persisted, particularly in the Highlands and Islands.
And what became of the accuser Christian Shaw?
Well, she recovered and went on to become a successful business women within the mill industry.
