The persecution of the Alloa witches began in Stirling on 19 May 1658, in Commonwealth times.
[1] On this date, the presbyter Matthias Symson (1625-1664) met with George Bennett, minister of Saint Ninian's, to confer with the persons there apprehended for witchcraft and to try to bring them to confession.
On 23 June 1658, the Presbytery held a subsequent meeting to the suspected persons.
[2] There were a total of 12 women accused of witchcraft from the urban parish, which may include Alloa's adjacent rural area.
[3] One important aspect of the Scottish witchcraft trials was the reports of demonic sex.