Bessie Stivenson or Bessie Stevenson (c.1610? to 1659) was executed for witchcraft in Stirling, Scotland in the 17th century.
Biography
Bessie Stivenson was tried on witchcraft-related charges in March 1659, alongside two other Stirling women, Magdalene Blair and Isobel Bennet, for using charms to cure illness.[1][2][3] She was a widow and thought to be around 49 years old at the time of the trial.[4]
Stivenson confessed to healing with deeds, but denied using words.[3] She was found guilty and sentenced to death. She was strangled and burnt.[1]
^Larner, Christina; Lee, Christopher Hyde; MacLachlan, Hugh V. (1977). A source-book of Scottish witchcraft: Comp. by Christina Larner, Christopher Hyde Lee und Hugh V. M[a]cLachlan. Glasgow: SSRC Project on Accusations and Prosecutions for Witchcraft in Scotland. ISBN978-0-85261-145-6.