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 A Society was formed and Mrs Buchan was given the title of “Friend Mother In The Lord” while to the outsiders she was “Lucky Buchan the witch wife who had cast her glamoury over the weak-headed minister and other dupes” A violent persecution was raised and the meetings had to be held after dark. This persecution only served as a fitting occasion for Mrs Buchan to publicly proclaim herself as the woman described in Revelations Xii, “There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars;” and Mr White was the “Wonderful Man Child” of whom she was now spiritually delivered, who was to “Rule the nations with a rod of iron”!

The meetings were continually interrupted by angry mobs of locals who were hell bent on putting down the meetings of the obnoxious Buchanites. Stones and filth were thrown over the walls and eventually they had to abandon the garden meetings for a safer place. This was found in the home of Mr Patrick Hunter, an ardent disciple of Mother Buchan. He was a writer and was also acting as Burgh Fiscal and occasionally Town Clerk depute. He also had a lucrative business in the coal and shipping industry. He had an unfortunate deformity which caused him to be ridiculed by the locals of Irvine as “Humpty Hunter”. His connection with the Buchanites caused this ridicule to intensify and the meetings of the sect at his house gave an additional incentive to violence.

Members had difficulty getting into the house and were often hit with sticks and stones as well as verbal abuse. But “Friend Mother” was always there to take them by the hand and ask if they had been hurt as they entered the house. The rooms were usually packed not only by members of the sect but by people who came to argue or quietly observe or find reasons to dissuade their friends from being deluded by such fanatical nonsense. Among the latter it is commonly believed there was one who would soon achieve national recognition as the “Ploughman Bard of Scotland”.

The Buchanites were now being boycotted, Mr Hunter’s business started to slump and he lost his public appointments, tradesmen and labourers were thrown out of employment and drunken sailors were encouraged to set about anyone entering the house. No action was taken by the local magistrates against these acts and this only encouraged the mob even more. The attacks began at Mr White’s house but became more violent on the removal to Mr Hunter’s.

One night in particular would become memorable in the Buchanite history. The mob had smashed the doors and windows of Mr Hunter’s house and mother Buchan had to flee for her own safety. While trying to escape through the back door she was caught by the mob. One of her followers, a large chap named Mr Gibson, came to her defence, grabbing her around the waist, and was making his escape when a drunken sailor cut severely with a “jockteleg” and he had to let go. A shout of joy was raised over the capture of the “Witch Wife”. They dragged her through the street and  many wanted to duck her in the river but the majority decided to drive her home to her husband. An old tin kettle was picked up and with its  rattle she was drummed out of town and was followed all the way to Stewarton some eight miles out of town. Mr White and a few others followed at a safe distance under cover of darkness.

All the time the crowd were hurling insults at her. They would lift her up as high as they could, calling on her to fly to heaven and then let her fall “She canna flee yet; we maun tak’ her a wee bit farther and try again!”. Eventually they came to the bridge over the Annick Water at Stewarton where they made as if to throw her over into the river but some of the party less disposed to brutality of this kind suggested they should let her husband kill her instead.The noise as they dragged her through Stewarton caused people to come out half-naked to see what was going on and in the darkness and confusion Mother Buchan managed to escape. Some people think that a few of the locals took pity on her and helped her escape.