In the mid-17th century, amidst the fervor of the Scottish witch trials, John Greig of Grange, Peebles, found himself entangled in the webs of accusations that swept across the countryside. On the 6th of November 1649, John's case came under scrutiny, as recorded in the legal documents of the time. Born into a period of suspicion and fear, where perceived acts of dark magic could ruin lives, he stood as a male figure among a predominantly female-accused demographic, a notable point in a landscape marked largely by women's involuntary involvement in such trials.
The records from his trial, denoted as T/LA/2027, do not elaborate on the specific charges or the outcome. However, the very fact of John's trial paints a picture of the severe environment in which many people found themselves, where normal societal tensions and disputes could escalate into accusations of witchcraft. What is certain is that like many others before him, John's life during these events would have been deeply affected by the cultural and legal pressures of the time, reflecting the broader socio-religious anxieties that pervaded early modern Scotland. His case contributes to the historical tapestry of how witchcraft was perceived and dealt with in a society fraught with fear of the unseen forces.