Single, wealthy and from a Quaker background, Grizzel Jaffray was an easy target for relatives who preyed on the city’s superstitious nature to have her branded a witch.
Her accusers coveted her money and stood to gain in the event of her death and they succeeded in convincing the populace that she was in league with the devil.
Burned at the stake in 1669, Grizzel was far from the last poor woman to be summarily executed within Dundee’s boundaries.
Her story will be just one of a number of the tales that could be shared by the man behind the Dark Dundee website as he plans a new city walking tour.
For the past year local amateur historian Stewart Heaton has offered an online insight into witch burning, murder and disaster.
However, this has proved so popular that he is now looking to branch out and create an attraction that should prove popular with locals and visitors alike.
“Since I started the website there has been an increasing demand from people to start a tour in the city based on the tales from the site,” Stewart said.
“Initially my plan is to take small groups of up to 10 people on a two-hour walking tour, with short stops every mile or so to discuss points of historical relevance that also have a relevance to the dark elements of the city’s past.”
The tours would explore stories such as the killing of Grizzel Jaffray and the Tay Bridge disaster in 1879.
Murder most foul would also feature, including murders on the city’s Balgay Hill and the events of September 1651, when a fifth of Dundee’s population was massacred.
That crime is laid at the feet of English general George Monck, unleashed on the city by Oliver Cromwell, who allowed his troops to loot, pillage, rape and kill without restraint.
Stewart will take his plan to Dundee City Council tomorrow and hopes to secure the licence needed to begin leading the tours.
He believes there is a gap in the market and, if successful, hopes to have the venture up and running in time for the start of the 2016 tourist season, offering an insight into a wealth of stories many of them new to even the biggest fans of his website.