10/06/2025
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1aszeCqXm6/?mibextid=wwXIfr
On this day in 1697, seven people were executed at Gallow Green in Paisley for the supposed crime of witchcraft, the last mass ex*****on of its kind in Western Europe.
They were hanged, but not until death. While still breathing, they were cast into the flames.
Later, a horseshoe was buried at Maxwellton Cross, not in remembrance, but to stop their spirits from returning.
But they were never witches.
They were victims of fear, suspicion, and a system that failed them.
It’s important we get this right or we risk forgetting the truth.
Those executed were:
Katherine Campbell
Agnes Naismith
Margaret Fulton
Margaret Lang
John Lindsay in Barloch
John Lindsay, known as “Bishop”
James Lindsay, known as “Curate”
John Reid was also accused, but died by su***de in Renfrew Tolbooth before he could be tried.
Today, we remember their names not as myth, but as people, ordinary lives caught in a storm of panic, prejudice, and cruelty.
A bronze horseshoe now marks the spot at Maxwellton Cross.
If you pass by today, stop for a moment. Stand still. Say their names.
📍 Maxwellton Cross, Paisley
