Early life
Christian Shaw was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland in 1685 the
daughter of Christian McGilchrist and John Shaw, the Laird of Bargarran. Little
is known about Shaw's early life until the age of 11, when she becomes widely
documented as a witness in the Bargarran witch trials.
Christian Shaw is most documented for her role in the
Bargarran witch trials, which took place in 1697. Shaw, then aged 11, gave
evidence that led to 8 people being accused of witchcraft, including Elizabeth
Anderson, Katherine Campbell, James Lindsay, and Thomas Lindsay.
Accounts of the trials reported that Shaw had been
"betwitched" by the suspects and was exhibiting behaviors including
flying, and "vomiting coal and bent pins". During the investigations,
which were led by Paisley Minister Mr Blackwood, the presbytery ordered prayer
and fasting with the victim (Christian Shaw). Seven of those accused were hanged because of
the trials, three men and four women. The eighth accused person was found dead
in his cell.
An alternative account suggests that Shaw had taken a dislike to a servant, Katherine Campbell, and intentionally feigned bewitchment in order to bring about her death, and that her testimony led to the execution of 24 individuals in her home parish of Erskine.