David Johnston, a 36-year-old collier from Newton, Edinburgh, found himself swept up in the fervor of Scotland's witch trials on the brink of great personal tragedy. According to the surviving records, David confessed to forging a pact with the Devil—a pact he claimed to have entered into while transporting coal to the city 13 years prior. In a time when societal fears of witchcraft ran rampant, such declarations were perilous, often compelling the authorities to act with resolute severity.
The records show that David's trial took place on July 29, 1661, a date significant not only for its gravity but also for the rapidity with which the justice system proceeded. All members of the central justiciary were present, equipped with the authoritative Books of Adjournal, underscoring the case's import. Accusations levied against him included attending witches’ meetings, a charge bolstered by testimonies from others such as William King, Walter Cowan, and Margaret Daillis, who implicated David as an accomplice.
Despite initially confessing under duress, David attempted to retract his admission of guilt the day before his trial, during his confinement in the Tolbooth. Yet his efforts were in vain; the court found him guilty. His confession, possibly extracted through coercion as indicated by the use of haircloth—a method of torture—remained central to his conviction. The grim sentence of strangulation followed by burning was executed the day after his trial. This brief chronology, stark in its completion, paints a bleak picture of a man caught in an era when the shadow of witchcraft accusations could swiftly consume a life.