In the early winter of 1628, Kathrene Stewart of Bunjedburgh, Roxburgh, found herself at the heart of a tempest of suspicion that plagued many regions of Scotland during this period. Her name appears in the historical record on the 25th of November, marking the commencement of a legal saga under file C/EGD/1056. The case was initiated amid a climate of pervasive fear and anxiety concerning witchcraft, a phenomenon that gripped the early modern Scottish psyche.
Kathrene’s trial, held in Roxburgh, is catalogued under T/LA/600, situating her within the broader framework of Scottish witch hunts that spanned from 1563 to 1736. Roxburgh, like many Scottish towns of the era, was not immune to the surge of accusations and trials that punctuated this tumultuous chapter in history. The specifics of her charges are not detailed within the brief records that survive, yet the very fact of her trial highlights the intense scrutiny and peril faced by women in this period. Kathrene’s experience stands as a testament to the societal tensions and the intersection of fear, superstition, and legal proceedings that characterized the Scottish witch hunts.