In the mid-17th century, amidst the swirl of suspicion and fear that marked the witch trials in Scotland, Thomas Black, a resident of Gilmerton in the parish of Liberton, found himself at the centre of a grim and tragic episode. The case against Thomas was formally logged on the 9th of August, 1661, though the wheels of persecution had begun turning earlier that summer. On the 16th of July, a denunciation was recorded against Thomas; four individuals, who themselves were accused of witchcraft, claimed to have seen him at a witches' meeting. This assertion sharply shifted the focus of scrutiny onto Thomas, casting a shadow deep enough to lead swiftly to his trial.
Thomas was brought to trial on the 7th of August, 1661, in Edinburgh. The trial records from this date indicated a concerted effort to secure a confession, a common practice at the time, which often involved coercive measures. The confession that emerged from Thomas during this harrowing process was recorded on both the 29th of July and again on the day of his trial, suggesting the intense pressure he was under. Engulfed by the hysteria and driven by the denouncements against him, the court pronounced Thomas Black guilty of attending a forbidden witches' meeting.
His conviction sealed, the authorities moved with brutal efficiency. Thomas was sentenced to execution by strangulation followed by burning, a fate met by many during this tumultuous period. The execution was carried out in the Common Green on the 9th of August, 1661, a mere two days after his trial. Thomas Black’s story stands as a somber reflection of an era when fear and superstition could culminate in the ultimate sacrifice of one's life, marking him among the many tragically swept up in the fervor of Scotland's witch hunts.