In the late 16th century, the city of Aberdeen was a focal point for witch trials, a turbulent period marked by fear and suspicion. Elspet Leyis found herself at the center of this storm on March 22, 1597, when she stood trial alongside her sisters and father. The charges against Elspet did not accuse her directly of practising witchcraft herself; rather, she was enmeshed in a web of familial connections. Her mother, Johnnet Wischert, and brother, Thomas Leyis, were implicated more directly as practitioners of sorcery. It was through these associations that Elspet, alongside her family members, was tried. The notion of being "airt and pairt" implicated them not for specific acts of witchcraft but for their perceived complicity by virtue of their familial ties.
Despite being found "half guilty," Elspet's trial resulted in a sentence of banishment rather than death, which was a common fate for those convicted of witchcraft during this era. The conclusion of the court suggested that while there was insufficient evidence to convict them of practising witchcraft themselves, the association with her mother and brother cast a shadow over her and her family. Elspet's banishment from Aberdeen underscores the social and familial repercussions of being linked to accused witches during a time when suspicion often extended beyond the individual to their relatives. Through records of trials like hers, we gain insight into the complexities of guilt and association that defined this dark chapter in Scottish history.