In the year 1628, the presbytery records of Stirling uncover the case of Steven Malcome, a resident of the small village of Leckie in Gargunnock. Steven found himself entangled in the web of suspicion cast by the witch trials that swept across early modern Scotland. These records, crucially noted to possibly mistake his surname for Maltman, indicate that Steven’s encounters with the ecclesiastical authorities arose from his involvement in activities described as "charming and healing."
Steven's case, officially logged as Malcome, Steven (C/EGD/1045), came to public attention on the 7th of March, 1628. During a period where the boundary between the supernatural and the divine was deeply contested, any display of unusual abilities—even with benevolent intentions such as healing—could attract dangerous scrutiny. His skills, though possibly sought after by locals who needed relief from various ailments, ultimately led to formal accusations that precipitated ecclesiastical investigation.
The records detail that Steven's journey through the perilous waters of suspicion culminated in a recorded confession in April of 1628, though the specifics of what he confessed to remain unelaborated in the surviving documentation. Such confessions were often fraught processes, shaped by the severe pressure and expectations of the time. Steven Malcome’s case serves as a poignant illustration of how traditional forms of healing were perceived during this period and the thin line their practitioners walked between community service and spiritual vilification.