Alisone Nisbet, a midwife residing in the small settlement of Hilton in Berwick, found herself ensnared in the web of witchcraft accusations that swept across early modern Scotland. Known also by the name Elie Nesbitt, Alisone's reputation as a suspected witch lingered for over a decade, a shadow cast across thirteen years of her life. Her role within the community as a midwife—a position both revered and feared—placed her under keen scrutiny, especially given the superstitions surrounding childbirth and the potent symbolism of life and death. Additionally, she had served in the household of the local minister, caring for his eldest son—potentially as a wet nurse—a role which might have complicated perceptions of her intentions and practices.
Alisone's life bore complexities beyond her vocation. She admitted to an extramarital affair with Andrew Park, a detail that may have amplified communal suspicions against her. Her case coincided with allegations against others, including accusations brought by Issobell Cunninghame, who branded Alisone as a known witch. Importantly, one of her patients alerted the minister of Hilton to an 'afterbirth ritual' performed by Alisone, which allegedly led to a person's death—a charge that likely carried significant weight, compounding fears and rumors of dark practices.
Arrested and brought to trial in Edinburgh, the verdict for Alisone was grimly typical of the era's fraught judicial processes: she was found guilty of witchcraft. Alisone's execution took place on August 4, 1632, at Castle Hill, where she was strangled and burned, a tragic fate meted out to those convicted of witchcraft during these tumultuous times. Her life and death echo the broader narratives of fear, superstition, and the perilous position of women who worked in intimate and mystical realms of life and health during the Scottish witch trials.