In the fraught year of 1630, Alesoun Carrick found herself at the heart of one of the many witch trials that haunted early modern Scotland. Residing in the town of Haddington, Alesoun's life was irrevocably altered when her name was voiced by Alexander Hammilton, a man branded as a warlock, whose own fate intertwined with alleged dark arts. Her trial, recorded on the 7th of February, 1630, reveals that she was among several individuals incarcerated within the tolbooth of Haddington, awaiting the deliberation of a commission. This commission, composed of local authoritative brethren, had convened specifically to address the grievous accusations of witchcraft levelled against Alesoun and others during that turbulent winter.
The records indicate that Alesoun's accusation stemmed from a denunciation by Alexander Hammilton himself. This accusation, recorded in December of 1629, brought her under the scrutinous gaze of both the local populace and authorities. Hammilton, having named Alesoun as a 'known witch,' instigated a confrontation where she, along with several others suspected of similar transgressions, was compelled to face him. The specifics of their exchanges and the nature of Hammilton's accusations remain obscure within the records, yet this act of public denunciation cemented her fate as one implicated in the shadowy confines of witchcraft.
Alesoun's trial took place amidst the charged environment of Haddington, where suspicion and fear of witchcraft permeated the social fabric. The records do not specify the verdict or outcome of Alesoun's trial, nor do they provide details on her life subsequent to these events. Within the historical context, her trial is a fragment of the larger narrative of witch trials in Scotland, illustrating the precarious position individuals found themselves in during this period. Through the testimony of Alexander Hammilton, Alesoun Carrick's story was etched into the grim annals of history, a testament to the tumultuous era of suspicion and strife that defined the witch trials between 1563 and 1736.