Short Blurb:
Maggie Osborne made a deal with the devil to bring prosperity to Ayr high street, and built a business in just one night with Auld Horny himself. The deal was a cracker and the town boomed, so the people burnt Maggie alive. The deal broke and whilst I’m not saying any of this is true… just look at the state of Scotland’s high streets now. Call a town meeting!
More detail:
There is a legend from my hometown, Ayr, that a 17th century witch built a house on the high street in just one night with the Devil’s assistance. Today, a quarter of the shops on Ayr high street are empty – the town holds one of the highest shop vacancy rates in Britain. The plot that the witch was said to have built on has always done alright though, Number 82 – Marks and Spencer.
With the support of Ayrshire Historian Halima Cambell, I’ve been unpacking this legend and discovered that surprisingly, some of the story is true. It has at its centre a real woman, a 17th century entrepreneur named Maggie Osbourne who built and ran a successful business on that plot.
Maggie was responsible for bringing significant wealth and employment to (what was then) one of Scotland’s richest towns. Her skill, power and the fact she was a woman didn’t go unnoticed though, and she was executed as a witch on the high street just opposite her business, number 82.
The Legend has deep roots – Burns himself knew of Maggie. Halima has found a rare link from Yale library, citing Maggie as the inspiration for Nancy the Witch who chases Tam o’Shanter across the Doon river. It also has great resonance today, linking to the treatment of alternative thinkers and how many local community groups and councils struggle to understand and support innovative local business.
Maggie’s story deserves reconstruction. By doing so we will reckon with some major issues around the denouncement of the label ‘witch’, the treatment of women and those considered ‘other’ who gain power, corruption in business & governance, as well as genuinely asking the audience; what do you want from your highstreets and public centres?
