Halloween tales of the past - part one

According to an article about 'The Auld Kirk' of Largs in an 1885 edition of the 'News', witchcraft had been prevalent in the 17th century.
Old Presbytery minutes dating back to 30 April 1650 revealed the true gruesome nature of the executions which were attended by local ministers. Revolting duties sometimes fell to the lot of a minister at that time, and the history of Largs and the church in and around Largs had no sadder chapter in it than the one dealing with witchcraft!
Mr James Ferguson, moderator, Mr Alex Nisbet, Thom. Bell, Mr James Rowat, did convene to receive and examine the confession of Maal Montgomerie in Largs, Mall Small and Isabel Mailshead, who had confessed their guilt to the sin of witchcraft.
The presbytery minutes stated: 'Because there is to be ane execution of four persons (three of them being the aforesaid from Largs upon Saturday next at Irvine, for the sin of witchcraft, the Presbytery does appoint three ministers, Mr James Ferguson, Mr Matthew Rowat and Mr Andrew Hutcheson, to attend the execution the said day.
"Regular accounts of the expenses incurred in prosecuting and executing these poor victims of an "unholy and unlovely superstition" were kept and form a not unfitting monument to a "day that is dead" where the guilty party would be dragged through the streets of the town in a cart before the final end.
"An account for material used at the execution was also given in the minutes which included 'four tar barrellis', 'staik and dressing of it', and 'twenty loads of peattis to burn them'.