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March 31, 2023Unveiling the QR Code Plaque: Preserving Renfrewshire’s Witch Hunt Legacy
Revolutionary QR Code Memorial Chronicles Renfrewshire’s Witch Hunt Saga
A cutting-edge commemorative plaque was revealed in Paisley today, ensuring the chilling account of the Renfrewshire Witch Hunt is preserved for future generations. Mounted at the entrance to the Witches’ Well at Gallows Green, the striking stainless steel plaque features a QR code that guides smartphone users to a collection of videos recounting the macabre tale of Christian Shaw. In 1697, Shaw accused seven Renfrewshire residents of witchcraft, leading to their executions, before playing a crucial role in Paisley’s thriving thread industry.
During today’s unveiling ceremony, Provost Lorraine Cameron said, “The witch hunt narrative is deeply ingrained in Renfrewshire’s history, and we’re here today to ensure its legacy is passed on to younger generations. This innovative plaque with a QR code guarantees that the story will be preserved indefinitely. It holds not only local significance but also resonates with people around the globe.”
The plaque’s creation was made possible by Bridging Digital, an Erasmus+ funded initiative. Collaborating with Glasgow Airport’s Flightpath, Renfrewshire area partnerships, and the Renfrewshire Witch Hunt 1697 (RWH1697) charity, artist Trent Kim, StudioFV, Fablevision, and UWS students worked together to digitize the witch hunt tale, making it accessible through the new QR code memorial. This year, the effort to honor those who perished during the witch hunt is particularly poignant, as former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued a heartfelt apology to the countless women executed across Scotland due to the Witchcraft Act of 1563.
Addressing Holyrood on International Women’s Day last year, she said, “As First Minister, on behalf of the Scottish Government, I choose to recognize this heinous historical injustice and extend a formal posthumous apology to all those accused, convicted, vilified, or executed under the Witchcraft Act 1563. They were not witches, they were people—predominantly women. Some may question why our generation should apologize for events that transpired centuries ago, but it’s more relevant to ask why it took so long.”
Reflecting on Sturgeon’s remarks at Gallows Green—the location where the seven innocent individuals were executed and burned—Provost Cameron added, “Today’s event is the result of extensive planning and feels incredibly timely following Nicola Sturgeon’s apology last year. Her heartfelt words were deeply moving, and in my view, absolutely necessary. I believe her apology has inspired us to take action and ensure the witch hunt’s story is remembered, which is precisely what we’re doing today. This is just the beginning.”
