Katherine Wilson, a widow residing in Duns, Berwick, found herself entangled in the notorious Scottish witch trials on the 5th of July, 1631. Of middling socioeconomic status, Katherine's life had been relatively stable, with ownership of a tenement and access to land through her late husband's wadset arrangements. However, her standing in the community did little to shield her from accusations of witchcraft, a fate that befell many during this tumultuous period. The records detail that one specific claim against her involved financial dealings, wherein a man failed to pay Katherine for eight bailes of bere, a cereal often used in brewing. This unpaid debt adds a layer of complexity to her indictment, shedding light on potential grievances that fueled the accusations against her.
Katherine's trial was held in the pivotal city of Edinburgh, suggesting the seriousness of the charges brought upon her; notably, she was accused of attending a witches' meeting. Such gatherings were a staple in the tapestry of witchcraft allegations of the time, imbued with fears of conspiracies against the natural and social order. Ensuring due process was a distant concern in such proceedings, as convictions were often based on hearsay or coerced confessions rather than substantial evidence. Katherine's name also surfaced in other witchcraft trials, noted by figures like Bessie Sleigh and John McReadie—though the exact nature of those mentions remains unspecified in the historical record, it hints at a network of accusations that was not uncommon in the witch-hunt narratives of 17th-century Scotland.